


Ocean's 8 1/2

by Kailee008



Category: Ocean's 8 (2018), Ocean's Eleven Trilogy (Movies)
Genre: California, Crime story - Freeform, Eventual Relationships, F/F, Heist Wives, Post-Canon, Post-Movie, Sex, Slow Build, long reads, long story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2019-07-07 00:38:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 115,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15897366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kailee008/pseuds/Kailee008
Summary: Debbie Ocean and Lou Miller's story after Ocean's 8. Life is quiet, simple and good. But for the heist wives it's too mundane, even with just about all the money in the world the two are getting the itch. Not quite a heist to the scale of adding a 9th person, but they'll call this Ocean's 8 1/2.





	1. Begin

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline; 3 months after the Met Gala Heist. The pairings are as such, Debbie and Lou, Nine Ball and Tammy, Rose and Daphne and Constance and Amita are on their own... for now

The crew was all back together after being separated for almost 4 months. Debbie had specifically told everyone to split up or at least walk in inconspicuous pairs. Debbie and Lou stayed in the loft, Nine Ball took herself and her sister on a vacation in Costa Rica, Amita took a short vacation to France, met a dude but it didn't work out, Daphne and Rose paired up doing shoots and promotions, Constance hopped on a plane to San Francisco to experience their metro system and Tammy went back to her husband and kids only to find him with another woman.

Laughter again filled the once quite loft. Pizza boxes and beer bottles were scattered all around what they considered the living room. Debbie got up and walked into the kitchen carrying the paper plates to the trash. She didn't hear Lou get up and follow her until the blonde wrapped her arms around Debbie's waist and kiss her neck softly.

"Hmm hello to you to my love," Debbie said smiling and also blushing slightly.

"I never pegged you for the nervous type Ocean," Lou smirked and left a soft mark behind Debbie's ear. "They're our friends, not some strangers on the street."

"I know, I just... it's different," Debbie shrugged and turned to face her lover. Debbie looked right into Lou's ocean blue eyes and bit her lip. They had been an item before, out and open in front of all their friends and family. And since the heist they've been together again for the last 3 months, making up for lost time. 6 years they'd been apart and now Lou wanted nothing more to stand in their way.

Lou had seen other people in that time frame, but no more than 3 nights with the same girl. Debbie had used people in prison but never slept with them. She found herself in solitude more often than not, simply because she liked the quiet. But this was something different, for some reason Debbie wanted to keep it as secretive as possible. She thought if she held onto it and kept it for herself, it couldn't get away like last time. She couldn't lose Lou again. She had fought so hard to get her back.

"You know I'm not going anywhere baby," Lou whispered and tucked a piece of hair behind Debbie's ear.

Debbie just nodded and turned away. That was so unfair. Lou could see right though Debbie. She always could and still can and it annoyed yet comforted Debbie more than anything. She was always the one reading other's and she could read Lou just as well as Lou could read her, but she was okay with Lou reading her for the most part. It left out a lot of unnecessary awkward silences and small talk. Debbie walked back over to the group and Lou followed closely but not too close.

"Finally, my moms decided it was time to get together," Constance said with pizza in her mouth and still completely focused on the TV.

"Excuse me?" Debbie said too quickly and a little too harshly. Constance turned around and pointed to the back of her ear and then looked back at the TV.

"We all knew it was bound to happen Deb. You really thought we didn't see you two eye-fuckin each other durin meetins or just casually around the house. I mean, you did scoop up some of the best con artists.. except Rose over there," Nine Ball said as she pointed out Rose with her pizza crust. Rose just shrugged and wrapped her arm around Daphne.

"I mean they're out, why can't you be?" Constance said in reference to Rose and Daphne's new public displays of affection.

"I.. we... I don't need to explain anything to any of you," Debbie huffed as she turned away and walked upstairs to her's and Lou's room.

The rest of the gang give Lou a look of "I'm sorry we didn't mean to piss off your wife". She waves them off and they go back to watching TV. Lou takes a deep breath before going upstairs. Lou knows exactly where Debbie went but still checks the study and Debbie's room just in case, but also to buy herself a little more time before tackling the conversation. Lou walks into their room to find Debbie sitting in the window nook with her knees to her chest looking out into the night. Lou sits on the edge of their California king bed and runs her fingers through her hair.

Before she has a chance to say anything Debbie mutters "I'm sorry... I don't know.. I just" and before Debbie gets a chance to finish that sentence Lou is sitting across from her and shaking her head.

"Shh.. don't be. I get it. I mean, I don't" Lou said as comfortingly as she caresses Debbie's cheek. "But I do.. but I promise you, telling them, telling anyone and everything will never change us, never break us".

"I know, god I know logically. My fear is irrational. But Lou.. I..." Debbie whispered. She looked away and back toward to moon and uttered so softly, "can't". Lou just nodded and kept looking at Debbie. Her Debbie. The one she's been in love with since the moment they met all those years ago. Sure Debbie had changed a bit since getting out of jail, but she's still her Debbie. Deb got up and laid on the bed. Lou follows and instantly wraps the hardened criminal in her arms. The brown haired wonder responds by burring her face in the blonde's chest and clinging onto her for dear life. Despite being as hard as she is, Deb was weak when it came to Lou. Deb ran every single aspect of her life, she was in control 99.9% of the time, except when it came to Lou. Lou shook her to her very core and turned her whole world inside out and upside down and Deb couldn't get enough of it. Lou held Deb as close as she possibly could and hummed softly in her ear. Lou knew she was witnessing something only she and maybe Danny has ever seen. Lou also knew that despite her hard exterior, she was also a big mushy mess when it came to anything pertaining to Deb.

"I love you," Lou whispers and kisses Deb's forehead. Deb doesn't move but Lou can feel the small smile forming on her chest. Nothing but the sound of their breathing and the faint sound every once and a while of a crew member getting upset with the TV show fills their room for what seems like an eternity.

"I think I need to go apologize.." Debbie utters. Lou runs her hand down Debbie's back.

"You don't have to tonight babe," Lou mumbles in between kisses on Deb's forehead.

"I know, but this may be the only time I feel comfortable enough to do this and I don't want to ruin it," Deb said as she slowly slid out of the Australian's arms.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Lou asked as she sat up.

"If you want to babe" Deb shrugs as she runs her fingers through her hair. Lou nodded and walked with Debbie downstairs but again, not too close to not draw any suspicion even though most of the crew have already figured it out. Constance was the first to look up when she heard the light steps of her mother walking down the stairs. She didn't look at her but she looked at Lou and Lou nodded back.

Debbie stood in front of the TV and Lou picked up the remote and turned it off. The gang groaned slightly but more because it was the episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S where Ross, Rachel, and Chandler are trying to get Ross's new couch up to his apartment. Lou stood behind Debbie just in case Debbie needed her but also because just in case Debbie fucked up she could step in and just say the damn thing.

Ocean cleared her throat and said, "I believe I owe Constance an apology... so... I'm sorry for snapping earlier."

"Thanks mom," Constance said and then gave her the reassuring half smile.

"I also would like to address that I...." Debbie starts to say as she takes Lou's hand in hers and squeezed it tight. "we... are indeed dating again. And that is that," Debbie sighed like a huge weight was lifted but immediately it was filled with anxiety, not because she didn't think they would approve, but more because again, she wanted this for herself, and like a wish, if you said it out loud, it may never come true. Or in this case, last long.

"Congratulations! We are all so happy for you" Tammy said as she got up to hug them both. Tammy felt a little sting in the back of her heart. After all, she and Debbie were once a thing too. It was short, it was sweet, but Tammy truly never got over the Ocean. To be honest, no one really gets over the Ocean. Her waves are just too strong and once she pulls you in there is no going back to shore.

"MOMS!" Constance yelled and clapped her hands together. Nine Ball and Amita smiled at them and nodded in approval.

"Finally, now we won't be the only couple in this group," Rose said as she kissed Daphne's cheek.

"I know, we were feeling a little lonely over here," Daphne said smiling and snuggled up closer to Rose.

"Well thanks guys, it means a lot," Debbie said with a smile. She turned back to Lou and kissed her softly yet lovingly.

"Alright now, you two go get a room," Amita said and covered her eyes. Lou just laughed and lead the brunette back up the stairs. Debbie followed without hesitation.

As they were at the top of the stairs Debbie yells down, "Goodnight children. Don't stay up too late." The girls just waived her off and Lou laughs and leads them back to their room. Lou lets go of Debbie's hand and begins to undress. She puts on a pair of blue silk boxers and a white camisole. Debbie sat on the bed and watched intensely as her women got undressed and redressed.

"Hmm... you know those are going to come off in about 30 minutes right?" Debbie said while smirking

"Yes, but that's only because I like you to have a little challenge," Lou said smirking back and laid on the bed. She laid on her side facing Debbie, stunned by her sheer beauty all she could do was bite her lip trying to hide her ear to ear smile.

"Hmm like what you see Blondie?" Debbie said teasingly while raising her eyebrow. Of course, Lou liked what she saw, she more than liked it. She was in awe of it. She couldn't believe how such a perfect woman existed, let alone existed in her life, or called her baby.

Debbie stood up and slowly began to take her clothes off, one article at a time. She let the leather jacket she borrowed from Lou slide off her shoulders. She purposefully bent over in front of Lou and took off her high heels. She slowly took off her white blouse and wiggled out of it slowly to tease the Australian even more. All Lou could do was just watch and lick her lips. Debbie turned around to face her lover again and fumbled with the button on her jeans. She could hear Lou growl a bit in frustration that she couldn't just rip them off herself and that her woman was taking so long. Debbie giggled and shimmed out of her jeans. Once they were off she crawled onto the bed and flipped Lou onto her back. She straddled Lou's waist and very slowly began to take her bra off. Lou tried to hurry up the process but her arms were immediately pinned down and Debbie shook her head.

"No no my love, you touch, and the show stops," Debbie whispered. Lou growled again deeper but did not argue. She definitely did not want this show to stop so she puts her hands behind her head and just smiles up at her gorgeous beauty. Debbie then slowly stands above Lou so her center is above Lou's face. She dances a little and sways her hips side to side. Debbie plays with the lace waistband of her thong and slowly slips it off her and drops it down onto Lou's face. Lou bites it and inhales Ocean's scent. My god, no matter how many times Lou smelled this, it never ceased to turn her on.

"Calm down there babe, this is only the beginning" Debbie whispered as she took Lou's underwear and threw it somewhere across the room. She gently lowered herself onto Lou's face and Lou has to use every ounce of strength she has not to pull Debbie down onto her and eat her out like this is going to be her last meal. Debbie laughs as she watches her partner struggle to hold it together.

"You may only, and I mean only touch with your tongue" Debbie whispered and poked Lou's nose. Then she gently sat on Lou's face. Lou began to lick Debbie's folds and immediately she notices how wet her brunette is for her. Lou smirks and moves over to licking Debbie's clit.

"Oh baby" Debbie moaned and bit her lip. Lou smirked even more. She knew exactly how to get Deb off. She's studied this woman, every inch of her body she knows like she knows how to ride a motorcycle. Both came second nature to Lou and despite the almost 6-year gap, nothing about Debbie's body has changed, or the way it unwinds and crumbles with pleasure.

Lou alternates between kitten licking Debbie's clit and sucking on it roughly. Lou also knows how rough Deb likes it. Deb still loved the dirty rough talk, the spanking, begging, being tied up, calling Lou "Daddy" and being completely submissive. Lou loved it too, being in control for once in their relationship, but she never took anything too far and would die if she were to ever hurt Deb.

"Baby please," Debbie whined. She wants more and Lou knows it but Lou isn't ready to give it up just yet.

"Hmm, that wasn't convincing enough Ocean," Lou said nonchalantly.

Debbie looked down at her lover pleadingly and whispered oh so sexily, "Please daddy.. make me cum".

Immediately Lou begins licking and sucking as her life depends on it which causes Debbie to let out a loud moan. She blushes bright red and bites her lip because of how uncharacteristic that is of her. She isn't the loud one. Her body does most of the talking with how it twitches and reacts to being touched. Lou is the loud one, yet right now in this moment all she wants to do is be loud and never stop being loud.

"Baby, they can't hear us. They're drunk and watching TV. Please be loud for me this once. Let me hear about how I make you feel. How I drive you insane. How good at this I am. How well I know the one and only Debbie Ocean" Lou whispered seductively.

Debbie shook her head but she couldn't help but moan again when Lou stuck her tongue inside her and began fucking her that way.

"Oh my god baby! Oh OH!" Debbie moaned and whimpered in pleasure. Lou did not stop for a second and just kept going.

Debbie kept rolling her hips back and forth on Lou's tongue and Lou pushed deeper and licked faster. Lou could feel Debbie's legs start to go and that's when she knew her lover was close to her climax. Debbie also knew she was close but she didn't want this to end quite yet so she slowed down her movements. Lou pulled her tongue out and went to town on Debbie's clit. Not many people knew this, to be fair probably only Lou knew, not even Claude, but Debbie could only truly get off with clit stimulation. Whether that was just her clit being stimulated or her insides too, but it had to involve the clit in some fashion.

"Oh fuck. Lou.. Lou... Lou baby!" Debbie practically screamed Lou's name and the shaking became uncontrollable. Lou didn't even flinch, she knew she could gloat all she wanted after she was done. Lou swirled her tongue around Debbie's swollen clit and made sure to suck it every now and then. Her tongue danced around it, worshiped it and flicked it to make Debbie's hips jerk.

"How good am I?" Lou says with so much lust in her voice.

"Oh so good Lou. You're the only one who gets me like this. Who can make me fall apart. Who can..." Debbie's words are interrupted with moans and a handful of cuss words.

"Lou... I'm.. I'm gonna!" Before Debbie could even finish her sentence screams of pleasure came out instead. The wave of pleasure took over her body and her brain turned to absolute mush. She almost collapsed on top of Lou but Lou caught her in time and held Deb close to her. All Deborah Ocean could do was lay there and twitch. She had no control, no brain function. Lou, the one and only Lou Miller did this to her, and just about did this to her every time.

After Deb was finally out of the orgasms bliss she opened her eyes and was met with Lou's shit-eating grin. She couldn't muster up any strength to smack it off Lou's face but she could roll her eyes long enough to get her point across. Lou just laughed and pushed some of the hair out of Deb's face. Deb laid her head on her baby's chest and listened to her heart beating.

"Not bad Ocean, you got some pipes on you," Lou teased even more. Debbie wasn't even mad, she wanted to be loud and Lou caught her. She knew how much Lou loved it when she was and at this moment, all she wanted was to make Lou happy. She had spent almost 6 years making her unhappy and now, that was all going to change. Debbie was going to do everything and anything to make sure this worked.

\------------------------------------------------------------

Early the next morning Lou slowly got up out of bed and slipped out of the room to find herself a drink of water. She walked downstairs and into the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of water and looked over at all the girls except Rose and Daphne asleep on the couches. The other two must of either gone home or sneaked off to their own room for some of their own fun. Lou quietly walked passed the couches only to be stopped by the voice of Constance.

"You really know how to make a girl scream Miller," Constance said half asleep yet with that smirk of hers.

"Tell Debbie you heard her and I will make sure you never hear again Con," Lou said playfully and patted the girl on the head.

"Night Mom," Constance said and then rolled over and fell back asleep.

"Night kiddo," Lou said and walked back up to her room. She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her. She leaned up against the door and took a minute to admire the sleeping beauty tangled in her sheets. Lou smiled to herself and knew that this was worth waiting for and she was also never going to let anything happen it. She loved Debbie, and despite all the pain, the last 6 years caused, she knew she had a lifetime to heal.


	2. California

Deb woke up the earliest of the two, she had her routine from prison that so far she could not shake. She looked at the clock which glowed 5:30. She got up, went to the bathroom and began her morning. She took an icy cold shower, hot water was a luxury and she was still afraid it would be turned off as a form of punishment so she never used it unless she was taking a shower with Lou. Showers lasted 8 minutes tops, any longer and she felt anxious that someone was going to come up and try and take the shower from her, whether by force or threat. Ocean was strong, independent and cunning after all, but prison stripped her of a lot of that confidence. Her family had managed to piss off just about everyone. Someone in there was either conned by her family, set up by her family, or her family killed a member of their family. It was a bloody business and she got her fair share of blood spilled because of it.

Once she stepped out of the shower she immediately dried off and dried her hair to the best of her abilities. She avoided the blow dryer only because she didn't want to wake Lou, who never got up before 11 am. Debbie could feel a smile forming and she bit her lip to try and hide it. No matter how hard she tried, the thought of Lou Miller always brought a smile to her face. After her hair, Debbie would brush her teeth and moisturize her face. She looked down at the toothbrush and thought about how she would never need to make one into a shiv ever again, well unless she wanted to, but she had no need now. Once all that was done, she stepped out of the bathroom and began looking for some clothes. Debbie moved like a cat, light-footed and quickly. She slipped on some old vans, Lou's boxers from last night and an NYPD crew-neck. It was one of Danny's and it surprisingly still smelled a lot like him.

She exited the room and closed the door quietly behind her. When she reached the stairs she was met with the sight of Constance and Amita curled up on one couch and Tammy asleep on Nine Ball's chest on the other. Debbie smiled to herself. Her family, all together..

\--------------------------------------------

Lou rolled over and to no surprise she was alone. She rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly. Lou sighed and began to get her morning routine in swing. She hoped in the shower and cursed Debbie's name because the water came flowing out ice cold. After that, it was teeth and wiping any left over makeup from the night before. She went back into their room and looked for some clothes. She found her shirt, but nothing else. Lou assumed Debbie took the boxers so she went into the bathroom and grabbed the robe.

When she went downstairs she was met by Amita cleaning up breakfast, Tammy and Nine Ball out on the patio drinking coffee and Constance still passed out on the couch.

"Morning sleepy head. Your plate is on the table still," Amita said and gestured her head toward the table. Lou smiled and nodded as her thank you. She sat down and ate her breakfast slowly.

"Deb was gone when we woke up so.. we're not sure where she is," Tammy said as she entered the room again. Lou figured just as much but she smiled at Tam in acknowledgment of what she said.

The crew shifted their attention when Rose and Daphne emerged from their room looking tired yet glowing which meant they had a late night of their own. Amita poured a mug full of black coffee and handed it to Rose when she approached.

"Thanks darling" Rose said quickly and immediately took a long sip.

"Hmmm you and Ocean make good cover," Daphne said as she nudged Lou.

"Only this time, she's not normally like that" Lou said as she nudged Daphne back. Daphne winced a bit as Lou was much stronger but also Daphne wasn't used to anyone giving her any shit back.

After finishing breakfast Lou went upstairs and changed into black skinny jeans, a blue shirt button up and a leather jacket. She grabbed her sunglasses and helmet as she walked down the stairs.

"Bring mom home," Constance said half asleep.

"I will, but no promises it'll be immediately," Lou said over her shoulder as she went into the garage. She hopped on her new bike and sped out of there. Biking was one thing Lou had all to herself. Something Debbie's presence didn't linger on. Despite long conversations of wanting a bike someday, she had only really taken that leap once Debbie was locked up. It allowed her to breathe and feel something other than pain. Her escape had saved her in more ways than one.

\-------------------------------------

Debbie walked along the streets of New York with curious eyes. So much had changed since she was put away, yet so much had stayed the same. Empty expressions with their suits attached to them flooded the sidewalks. Wide-eyed bushy tailed girls and boys keep staring at all the neon lights that hung like lanterns in the city. Con artists and pickpockets sat on every street corner trying to get their daily hustle started. Street musicians played next to high-end stores and living statues hopped on their boxes where ever heavy tourist flow was. Debbie loved this city, but she also hated it. She knew it too well. She had pulled off one of the biggest heists in New York's history and somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she couldn't stay here forever.

A familiar sound sped past her on her left. Lou she thought and turned to see the back of her lover and the plate of her lover's bike, 9LDMO1. Debbie couldn't help but smile at that. After all this time Lou still couldn't help but intertwine Debbie into every aspect of her life. Whether it was cellphone wallpapers, the password to her emails, or her club's name.

Once Debbie turned the corner she was met with Lou's beautiful blue eyes looking into hers.

"How'd you find me so fast?" Debbie asked.

"You're predictable," Lou said and shrugged. Debbie was anything but predictable, but somehow Lou was able to pick up on anything and everything she did. And if she did it more than once, Lou knew it was a pattern. Debbie didn't do patterns unless it was by mistake or driven by her emotions. Walking the streets and ending up at her old meet up spot with Danny, Katie's Doughnuts was purely accidental to Debbie but predictable for Lou.

Lou parked the bike and took her helmet off. She took Debbie's hand in hers and they both walked into the shop.

"What'll it be Ms. O?" Derek, the husband of the owner Katie asked without blinking an eye.

"My usual Der, thanks!" Debbie said and sat in her usual both. Derek looked over at Lou and Lou shook her head.

"Not hungry babe?" Debbie asked and tilted her head.

"Amita made food," Lou said smiling back at her love. Debbie nodded and smiled back at Lou. Derek came back with a plate of over medium eggs, white toast, 3 crispy pieces of bacon and a basket with a maple bar and a glazed doughnut. Debbie smiled at Derek mouthed thank you.

The couple ate in silence but they both knew what was being said. They had always been able to communicate with just gestures and looks. The crew had picked up on that when they all figured out that they had been lovers and were still in love. Tammy could sometimes infiltrate their conversations but she could never truly get it all.

"Why?" Lou asked and tilted her head.

"Because.." Debbie said before shoving the rest of her eggs in her mouth. "We've conquered this side. It's time for a change. Anyways.." Debbie said with her mouth full. Once she swallowed she continued, "you've always wanted to go to California. And think about it. Hollywood is there. There's so much more for us to do" Debbie said.

"Babe, California was supposed to be our settle down place. Not another place to ruin" Lou said and frowned a bit at the suggestion that they were going to be planning more heists. I mean, for god sake's they had all the money in the world. Why would they need more?

"I know," Debbie said quickly, "but we could hit SoCal and then go up and retreat in NorCal. Like San Francisco or Napa. You love wine. Plus they're like two different states at this point".

Debbie wasn't wrong, they were, but Lou had always planned on California being their getaway. Their place where they settled down, maybe even had a family. Despite Lou's love for heists and she always longed for a normal life. Something she never got to have, and she desperately wanted to give that to a child. Partially because she loved kids, always have, but also a child would be another way for her to live out some of the things she missed out on. It was a silly idea and Lou knew it. But damn, she wanted it so bad. And she only wanted it with Debbie. Baby Miller-Ocean, or even just Ocean. She didn't really care about it, but she did definitely knew Debbie had to be the other parent in this relationship.

"We'll talk about this later," Lou said. She looked down at the doughnuts and realized the glazed one was for Danny. She sighed to herself. Danny was like another brother to her. Harold was her actual brother, but he was 6 years younger. Danny protected her, made her feel safe too and it was hard for her to swallow that he, in fact, could be gone. She doubted it, but there was something in the back of her mind that kept reminding her that it indeed could be true.

"You can have it if you want it babe," Debbie said as she took a bite of her maple bar. Lou nodded and ate the glazed one.

Silence again fell over the two. Once Deb was finished she got up and gave the tray back to Derek.

"See you soon Ms. O. Send my best regards to DO," Derek said as he waived and watch the two leave.

That last remark stung ever so slightly. Debbie was unsure if her beloved brother was still around or not. It wouldn't surprise her if he went underground while she was gone, but she also knows he was sometimes too ambitious and could've crossed the wrong family.

Lou got on the bike and handed Debbie the helmet. Debbie put it on and hopped on the back of the bike. She wrapped her arms around Lou tightly and buried her face, or well the helmet, in Lou's back. Debbie has been on plenty of bikes before, but never with Lou. It's not that she didn't trust Lou with the bike, it was more she couldn't believe this was real. She knew how much Lou wanted to ride, and how she would talk about wanting to ride with Debbie anywhere and everywhere. Now though it was a reality, and she didn't want to lose it.

Lou drove them back to the loft and parked in the garage. Lou let Debbie get off first and then put the kickstand down. Debbie handed her back the helmet and winked at her. Lou rolled her eyes playfully and followed the dark-haired woman into the house.

Rose and Daphne had gone out for a shoot, Amita was back at her shop and Tammy was out with the kids. Nine Ball and Constance were in their usual spots on the couch. Nine was glued to a computer and Constance was working on her magic tricks on the coffee table.

"Hey moms! Amita made lunch, it's in the fridge for whenever. And she said she'd back in time for dinner" Constance said without looking up.

"Thanks kiddo" Lou said while taking off her jacket and hanging it up. As she watched Debbie slink off outside she bit her lip and took a deep breath. She knew Deb wouldn't leave California alone and she knew even more than no matter what they did, Deb would get her way. They would eventually run a heist there. Lou shook her head and sighed again.

"You okay there blondie?" Nine asked with a concerned look.

"Yeah.. just, gotta figure some adult shit out. No concern of the groups though," Lou said trying to keep a reassuring tone so that it wouldn't tip off the two.

"Hmm I haven't known you very long mom but that doesn't sound too convincing to me," Constance said and stopped her game. She looked up at Lou and asked: "What's up?"

"Nothing yet, I'll tell once I know more," Lou said and then went outside to finish the conversation about California.

Lou found Debbie sitting in a lounge chair outside. Lou wasn't much for lavish decorating but she did keep some patio furniture outside under a covered area. Green and blue lanterns and twinkly lights covered the rafters. Blue for Debbie and green for herself. She never truly realized how badly Ocean had sunk into her skin, her psyche and in her heart but every once and a while she would notice just how much her life revolved around the woman. Lou sat across from Debbie and Debbie just looked off into the distance. Lou knew this game all too well. She was going to have to bring it up or it would never get talked about again.

"When do you want to go?" Lou said softly.

"Not immediately, but, within the year hopefully. Maybe right after the year is over" Debbie said and shrugged. She looked at the blonde and tried to study her face.

"It's August, that would only give us 4 months. Don't you think that's a little soon?" Lou asked. "I mean we do have these people to kind of worry about," Lou said while pointing toward the loft.

"I know, and they could come if they wanted. Honestly, I'm sure Rose and Daphne would move down to LA simply because there are so many more opportunities down there for her acting and Rose could get started again. Nine, I'm not sure she would want to drag her sister out of school, but Silicon Valley is not a bad place to be a hacker. Constance could get a new crowd in San Francisco. Tourists litter there too. And Tammy, I'm sure she'd like to get away from her ex-husband as much as possible. Amita.... I don't know. I doubt she could leave her store. But she's more than welcome" Debbie said as if she had thought all of this through for months. Lou realized she probably had been. Planning is the only thing Debbie Ocean really knows how to do. She had 3 modes, plan, execute and get away.

Lou stayed quiet for a few minutes trying to wrap this all around her head. She wanted California badly, but she wasn't prepared to share that dream with the rest of the group. Then again, Lou didn't want to leave them all on their own either. Could they do LA? Lou closed her eyes and imagined what they'd do.

She could see herself running a night club, she'd still pull some of her old tricks but she'd wouldn't be as cheap as last time. She could see Debbie actually using that art brain of hers and doing legitimate critiquing of art. She envisioned her and Debbie walking the carpet when Daphne had a movie premiere. Beach life also would not be bad for those two; Lou would take her bike up and down the coast and she also could finally teach Ocean how to surf. Lou saw her and Debbie taking a trip to SF, the gay capital of the world, and visiting Constance. She laughed to herself when she thought of them all still taking the Metro. Thanksgiving could be in Santa Barbra at Tammy's house. The 3 kids would enlighten them about Tammy's new life and wouldn't be short of anything due to their mom's Ebay habit. Lou's dream though was interrupted by the feeling of Debbie sitting beside her and wrapping her arms around her waist. She could feel that Debbie was also seeing something similar in her own daydream.

Once Lou opened her eyes, she looked at Debbie and said "Okay love. I have some loose ends to tie up, but I'll try for January."

All Debbie could do was smile and tighten her embrace around Lou. Lou smiled back and kisses Deb's temple. Debbie was happy, truly happy and for once in her life felt like things were going according to plan. Not some short-lived plan, but a plan for a lifetime. A plan that ended with her and Lou living their lives together for the rest of time.

"California it is then," Debbie whispered softly and pulled Lou into a deep slow kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading chapter two! This is going to be a long story so I hope this is good enough to keep you interested. Any constructive criticism is welcome and any suggestions too. I have most of this planned out but I could always swing some things around if someone gives me a better idea. Have a good night/day whenever you're reading this.


	3. Out With It

Lou and Deb began slowly getting their affairs in order for the move to California. Debbie had said either this year or at the beginning of 2019, but it just wasn't possible with all the things they had to do. Plus, Lou's dream was to ride out to California on her bike and travel up or down the Californian coast. So they compromised and were set to leave in March.

It was October now and New York was starting to become colder. The loft was indeed a bitch to heat so whenever the crew came over there were massive amounts of blankets and cuddling that happened on the couches.

The decision to keep the group out of the loop, for now, was one made by Debbie. She didn't want to make anything official until December. By then she believed, Lou and her would have most of their things in order and it was just a matter of packing and getting their new lives set up. Lou wanted it to be earlier than that, just so if anyone of them did want to come they could start putting their affairs in order. Though she did see the logic in Debbie's planning, she also worried that the girls would be mad that they had been planning this for so long without them. They really were a family, everyone supported everyone and they pretty much shared the loft at this point. Even Nine's little sister was hanging around and crashing on the couch.

One night when all the girls were watching chick flicks the topic of moving came up in a discussion.

"You know, I'd like to go somewhere warmer. Maybe where the sun shines all the time. I'd help with that seasonal depression and I'd be able to hustle people more. New York is brutal in the winter and not many people want to stop for a card game in 15-degree weather," Constance said as she watched the movie where the girl and the guy happened to be driving on the coast of California.

"Yeah, moving honestly doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I think the kids would benefit too," Tammy said as she stroked the hair of her sleeping 7-year-old Keri. She looked over at Derek, 8, who was asleep in Nine Ball's lap and then rubbed her stomach slowly. She found out she was 2 months pregnant during the heist and now her belly swelled as she reached the 8-month mark.

"Yeah, New York really isn't doing it for me anymore. Besides the government, there's not much to hack around here. I mean Wall St. is alright, can pick up on some sweet deals, but LA doesn't sound like such a bad spot to be a hacker either or even San Fran," Nine Ball whispered trying not to wake Derek.

Lou and Debbie just gave each other looks.

The conversation ended as the group refocused on the movie.

\----------------------------------

The feelings of festivities spilled right into November. October was full of decorations, ghost stories, terrible old horror flicks, pranks, and taking the little ones out trick-or-treating. Besides Thanksgiving, the group was very anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Tam-Tam. No one, not even Tammy knew the gender, but bets of $10 were placed along with a due date, time and color of eyes. Tammy and Keri had brown eyes and Derek and Mr. Ex had blue.

"I got a boy, blue eyes, due Nov 4th at 3:00 am," Constance said as she wrote her prediction down and put it in the bowl.

"I bet, girl, brown eyes, due Nov 15th at 4:04 am," Amita said as she threw her piece of paper into the bowl.

"Nah, definitely a boy," Nine Ball said as she looked at Tammy's stomach. "I also say brown eyes, due Nov 11th at 3:05 pm." Nine Ball and Tammy had been getting closer as the months went on. They began sharing a room while the kids shared another. The kids surprisingly took to Nine Ball pretty fast. Tammy really didn't know what their relationship was, but she was grateful for it. It was nice to have someone who was there and listened yet could also fuck up her ex-husband if she asked really nicely.

"Rose says, boy, blue eyes, due Nov 10th at 2:30 am," Daphne said as she read a text from her phone. "I say though, girl, blue eyes, due Nov 7th at 10:00 pm." Daphne wrote them both down and put them into the bowl.

"I am concerned and curious to why you think this baby is going to be born at some godawful time in the morning," Tammy said as she laughed a bit.

"Oh because Derek was born at noon and Keri was born at night. You gotta have a morning baby now," Daphne said as she smiled.

"I don't think that's how that works," Tammy said and rubbed her stomach. She looked down at it and whispered, "Please come out at a reasonable time".

"No matter what Tam, we're all going to be there. Even if it is at the butt crack of dawn," Debbie said as she laughed. "Also, I say boy, I say brown eyes and I think I'm going to go with Nov 8th at 1:30 am."

"Last but not least, I will say, girl, brown eyes due Nov 13th at 5:45 am," Tammy said. She wrote her's down and took Deb's paper and put them in the bowl.

The rest of the day was spent planning and setting up a nursery in the corner of Tammy and Nine's room. Constance and Amita were on painting duty and Nine kept the kids occupied and Rose and Tammy looked at catalogs of baby cribs and strollers and various other decoration. Lou and Deb separately snuck off trying to get their affairs in order, but helped Nine with the kids or brought Tammy whatever she needed at the moment to her.

Lou pulled Deb to the side as Deb was getting some water for Tammy.

"Hey, don't you think we should tell them now? I mean.. they're more than welcome to stay here but with Tammy and a new baby it just seems nicer to tell them before they get too settled here," Lou said softly.

"I know.. but Lou, you haven't even sold the club yet and Claude's trial isn't going to start until December. What if this all falls apart? Then they've prepared for nothing," Deb said as she refilled Tam's glass.

"I get that babe, I do. But I would rather plan and have it fall apart than be scrambling to put a plan together last minute," Lou said.

Debbie sighed as she realized Lou was right. Debbie was the mastermind behind all planning and truly believed in having plan A, B, C, D, E, and F just in case. The more plans, the more ways you had to get out of something. And it wasn't like the women would be left with nothing, they would still have New York and this loft. Deb listened to the women argue about colors and the debates about prices on cribs and strollers. She knew it would be unfair to all of them if she kept it a secret much longer. 3 months wasn't enough time to prepare, but 4 wasn't much better.

"It's just something to think about Deb if you really don't...." Lou started to say but was cut off by Deb's finger against her lips. Lou hated when Deb did that, but she also noticed that was one of the first things she found herself missing when Deb got locked up.

"No, you're correct," Deb said softly. Lou started to say something but didn't. She knew how hard it was for Deb to admit she was wrong. Deb hardly ever did, and this time Lou wouldn't gloat, she'd just let Deb have it.

Deb walked into Tammy's room and handed her the glass of water. Tammy took it and smiled at Deb but it was quickly erased when she saw that guilty look on Deb's face.

"Deb what is it?" Tammy asked as she took a sip of water. The rest of the group stopped and looked at Deb with the same puzzled expression. Deb sighed and looked up at the ceiling trying to avoid all their Bambi eyes.

"Well out with it Ocean. What's up?" Daphne asked again a little harsher.

"Well, we.. Deb and I, have decided to..."

"We're leaving for California in March," Debbie blurted before Lou finished her sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking it out and reading chapter 3. Not as exciting, but I promise drama will be packed into Chapter 4. What do you all think Tammy's new little human will be? Also, I got Tammy's kids names off of IMDB, so please don't hate me. If I could, I would have chosen better names for them. Well, I hope you're having a great night/day whenever your reading this!


	4. Ready, Set, Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the arrival of baby Tam-Tam coming closer, does the group stay together? Or has the decision to leave for California cost Deb and Lou their family.

"Excuse me, can you repeat that one more time Ocean?" Tammy asked rather harshly.

Debbie opened her mouth and began to speak but Lou cut her off with, "Deb and I have been planning for California since we were young adults. Now with the money we have and with Claude being put away, we figured now, or well March would be the perfect time to start making this dream a reality."

Nine, Constance and Daphne all just stared with their mouths open. 

"And when were you going to tell us?" Tammy asked with the same tone. She began to rub her stomach and pace a bit. 

"We were going to give you all tickets to California as a Christmas gift.. with a note explaining the situation and asking whether you wanted to come or not. The tickets are open-ended and can be used at any time. So if you decided not to move with us, at least you could visit," Debbie said softly. 

"And why tell us now? Instead of then?" Nine Ball asked while she fought to get Tammy to sit down. 

"Because planning this nursery made me, and me alone, realize that my idea wasn't going to work. 3 months was not enough for you all to get things ready and I didn't want you all to spend money on setting this place up just to have you leave it here. I'm sorry. This was on me. I delayed Lou telling you all," Debbie said as she looked at the women. 

Constance shook her head and shoved passed Lou and Deb and walked out. Daphne stayed behind but she looked just as hurt as Constance did. 

"I can't believe you Deborah! 4 months isn't really a great time advance either. How could you? Why? I mean, I know why I was there helping you plan California, but why now?" Tammy asked. She was flustered, more with the hormones and baby stuff than the subject of moving. After all, she did suggest it earlier this year. They all had. 

"Because we need normal. We need quiet. It'll also help with our disguise if we all just sort of leave for a bit. Keep the heat off of us," Lou said. 

"So, you're just gonna up and abandon me when I need you all the most!? Just like my husband. The baby is due in less than 2 weeks and I'm sorry but you can't just spring something like that on us now," Tammy said loudly. Tammy knew she was projecting but she didn't care. She hadn't really dealt with the whole husband cheating scandal. When she found him in their bed with his secretary, she grabbed the kids and left. She had to be strong for them, to help them understand why they weren't going to be going back home and that they were going to be staying with Aunt Debbie's and Auntie Lou's until the time being. But every night it broke her, she thought she had found her happily ever after. Her husband had saved her from a deep depression she found herself in after Deb had broken her heart. They built a life together, a good one, a safe one. Kids shortly followed the wedding. She was happy, as happy as she'd allow herself to be. Deb and Lou were there for all those things, and it stung that maybe they were right, that he wasn't good enough for her and she was going to end up hurt somewhere down the line. 

"Yeah Deb, I mean, my sister's still in school and I got my bar. How am I suppose to move all that in 4 months?" Nine Ball said as she stroked Tammy's arm.  

"We never said you guys had to come, but it's an option. We don't even have to go at the same time or be in the same part of California. But we want to go, there's not much here for us now," Debbie said. 

"You're stupid to think that after all this time, we're just gonna let you two walk out of our lives. We're a family now. I stupidly, weird dysfunctional one at that, but still a family," Amita said.

"I need time to process this," Tammy said softly. 

Lou and Debbie nodded and exited the room. They went upstairs to their room and Deb threw herself on the bed. Lou sat beside her and rubbed the brunette's back.

"They'll come around," Lou said softly.

"I just, I don't get why they're so mad. We told them, we told them they didn't have to come. I just.. and Tammy, without those hormones, she'd see how great this would be without all that going on," Debbie said and sighed. 

Lou wrapped her lover in her arms and began to kiss all over her face. She knew Deb was beating herself up over this more than she was letting on. After all, Deb had decided to keep it a secret and she prided herself over the fact she thought she was right. 

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

 

A few days had past and still, no one wanted to talk about the move. The women were cordial with each other but there was so much tension between Deb and Tammy, Daphne continuously tried to make scissor gestures to try and cut it when neither of them were paying attention. Constance was still nowhere to be found, but Nine Ball kept in contact with her to make sure she was okay. 

One late night after the kids were already in bed, the gang decided to play some cards at the table. After a few laughs, beers, and a couple of rounds Daphne said, "you know, she is right."

The women all looked at her with puzzled looks. 

"I'm traveling to LA so often for movies and while Rose has her store here, she's having to travel too with me and also designing movie costumes. LA would be good for us. Nine and Lou could run a bar/night club, or Nine could set up in Silicon Valley with all those tech companies. I mean Tam, San Bernadino? You'd be a goddess out there working at all those distribution plants. Constance would have all year round cons if she decided to keep doing that, or she could grab herself a new pad and make those YouTube videos anywhere, SF, LA, you name it. Amita, well I am not so sure about your situation, but you could easily set up a diamond business there. California is where it's at. They aren't wrong." Daphne said as she drew her hand. 

A small voice said, "I hate to admit it, but Daphne's right." The group turned to find Constance in the doorway. "Still wish you had said something earlier Mom."

"I know, and I'm truly sorry. I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up just in case this didn't work out. I mean, Claude's trial isn't until December, Lou hasn't shut down her club yet. I haven't quite got all my affairs in order. I was afraid. I didn't want to let anyone down. We knew you all had responsibilities.. I'm sorry," Deb said. She looked at each of them with the most sincere look she had. 

"Alright, so, we staying close or we splitting up?" Constance said as she sat down at the table and dealt herself in. 

"Well, that would be up to you all. Lou and I decided on Santa Monica. It's close enough to LA but we thought there would be a boujier crowd there, which means more money," Deb said.

"I have an uncle in the diamond district of Downtown LA. I'm sure I can set up there with him," Amita said while she helped Constance. 

"I'm obviously staying in Calabasas. I could be next to the Kardashian's," Daphne said as she beamed with excitement. "And of course Rose could stay with me." Daphne took Rose's hand in hers and kissed it. 

Tammy rubbed her stomach more and looked down. Lou gave Tammy those pleading eyes, the eyes that were tired and screamed for Tammy to let her have this with Deb. While Tammy was good at being a fence and did have the itch every once and a while, she truly did love motherhood and loved being "normal".  Lou's eyes burned into Tammy. She was still hurt, but moreover everything else rather than this situation. She was also worried about the baby and how moving across the country would go with a newborn. 

After a long pause, Tammy said, "I could see myself happy in San Bernadino. Though, if Leslie wants to go to Silicon Valley, I would go there too." Tammy looked at Nine Ball and smiled. She rarely used Nine Ball's actual name, but as they began to get closer, using that name made Tammy feel closer to her, to the real Nine. 

"I mean, I'd go anywhere with you babe," Nine said and immediately realized her mistake. Tammy blushed brightly and Nine bit her lip regretting letting that slip out in front of everyone. They both gave each other those  _we'll talk about that later_ eyes. 

"If they go to Silicon, I'll set up a place in SF. If they stay decide San Bernadino, I'll crash in LA. I don't want to be too far from all of you. Especially my mom's," Constance said.

"Alright then, I guess it's time to start planning for California!" Daphne said as she clapped. "I'm so excited. House hunting. This will be so much fun," 

"Uhhh, before we do that, we got a Code Blue. My water just broke," Tammy said as she looked down at the fluid dripping down her chair into a puddle on the floor. 

"Baby Tam-Tam is coming!" Amita squealed.

 Immediately the women broke from the table and got into their positions to prepare for the arrival of baby Tam-Tam. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright baby Tam-Tam is coming and the group decides on staying as a family. I promise lady loving is coming soon! Like I said this is gonna be a long one, we haven't even gotten close to the reason for the title. Thanks for everything! Comments and Kudos are always welcome and definitely help my faith in this... Anywhoo, I hope you're having a good night/day whenever you're reading this!


	5. Baby Tam-Tam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Baby Tam-Tam arrives, Deb realizes she is afraid. What will that mean for the rest of them? And who will win the wager between the women?

"And just breathe," Lou said to Debbie who was quite honestly freaking out more about the arrival of baby Tam-Tam than Tammy was. Tammy had already done this twice but Debbie was only there for when the product was already there, not during the whole thing. 

"What if something happens?" Debbie asked as she paced back and forth in the loft. 

"Nothing's going to happen Deb, everything is going to be alright," Lou said and kissed the brunette's temple. 

The arrival of baby Tam-Tam was also planned by Debbie, everyone had their set roles and duties to due during the arrival and after. Lou was driving Tammy to the hospital. Daphne was to keep Derek and Keri occupied. Amita and Nine Ball were to coach Tammy through the breathing exercises. Rose was grabbing anything and everything Tammy needed or wanted. Constance was packing up the car with overnight bags, Tammy's things and snacks for the hospital. Lastly, Deb was supposed to finish setting up the nursery as best she could, but she could barely finish putting the sheets down on the crib's mattress. 

Lou had never seen Deb so frazzled over something. She was genuinely concerned the brunette wasn't going to make it through the night without falling apart. A little piece in the back of Lou's mind also wondered what Deb would be like if she was pregnant with their child. It was a far off thought, but Lou couldn't stop thinking about their future ever since they had told the group about their plans. She couldn't wait to have normal with Debbie. She knew that may never entail marriage and especially kids, but no matter how hard she tried, those hopes and dreams still flowed through her. She wanted what Tammy had on the outside; a spouse, kids, a huge house, a white picket fence, a big lawn, a 4 car garage, and a few dogs. 

She had known for a while that Tammy and her husband weren't going to last much longer. While Debbie was in jail, the two had kept close in contact. She knew how bored Tam was and how unhappy she was. While Tammy confessed that she loved being a mother, she hated being a wife, or what her then-husband expected of a wife. The standard cardboard cutout 50's wife. She hated hosting meaningless parties for his work associates. She loved being a mother, but she hated being a stay-at-home mom. She had no free time, so she turned to "ebay". 

Tammy began hijacking shipment records for places like Amazon, Ebay, UPS and FedEx to get her quick fix. She would intercept shipments and then resell them for more than they were worth. It was an easy thing to do in the rich suburbs of New York. These other women had no real idea of how the world worked. They clicked buttons and stuff showed up at their door. They never had to worry about price tags. If they stepped into a grocery store, they would feel like they were in a third world country. 

"You know I'm not dying Ocean," Tammy said as she waddled into the room. Deb looked at her and nodded. 

Several hours passed before the contractions began to pick up. Deb was pretty much finished making the nursery as ready as it could be. The group decided to wait on buying all the expensive stuff until Tammy got settled in California. There would be no point in making the loft anymore homey than it needed to be. 

"Where are we going?" Keri asked Daphne.

"We're going to my house while your momma delivers your sibiling," Daphne said as she helped Keri put on her jacket. 

"Why can't we be there? Derek was there when I was delivered," Keri whined.

"Because he was very little then and could sleep wherever. Right now though, you and Der need your sleep for school tomorrow," Daphne said as she helped the little girl into the car. "I promise we will meet your newest sibling once school is over tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright Aunt Daph," Keri said as she got into her car seat. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alright everyone ready to go?" Lou asked as she helped Nine Ball load Tammy into the car. Tammy was having regular contractions lasting 45 seconds each with only 3 minutes wait time in between. This baby was coming and it was coming fast. It had only been 3 hours since her water broke. The other two had waited 5-7 hours.  

As Tammy waited in the car for the other women to file into other cars she looked down at her belly and whispered, "You better not take forever... everyone already has a pretty accurate time and I hate that."

Constance was completely out of the running, and Nine Ball and Daphne were slightly out due to the wrong time. Nine Ball, Amita, and Debbie all filed into the car and Lou got into the driver's seat. Constance and Rose were driving in another car and Daphne took the kids to her place. Daphne volunteered to watch the kids. She surprisingly enjoyed being around them and it allowed her to spoil someone other than herself. Keri and Daphne were thick as thieves, they even had their own language together.  

The car ride to the hospital was pretty silent except for Nine Ball reminding Tam to breathe every once and a while. The two hadn't had a chance to talk about that slip of the tongue but they continued on as if nothing had happened. Maybe even gotten closer and maybe a little more open about their affection. Amita was constantly in contact with Daphne and Constance.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"She's been in there for 2 hours!" Deb said as she paced up and down the hospital halls. 

"Deb babies take a while," Lou said as she paced back and forth with the brunette. It was already 1 am, and every minute that passed by Deb got more anxious and more irritated. Constance was asleep in one of the hospital chairs and Amita was still in contact with Daphne. Rose had left around 12 am to help Daphne. 

Lou pulled Debbie to the side and took her face in her hands. Debbie pulled away and walked off. Lou pulled her back and looked into those brown eyes that screamed for help. Lou had never seen Deb this scared. She looked like a small girl who had just seen a monster under her bed. 

"Hey, come on now. What's up?" Lou whispered. She rubbed the scared girl's arm.  Deb really didn't understand why she was freaking out this bad. Maybe because bringing life into this world wasn't really something she ever thought of. She had just taken. Though she herself hadn't ever taken a life, even in prison. She had taken the harassment, the physical beatings, and even a few shiv attacks. But she just happened to be there when other people did it, like her dad, Danny, and his crew or in prison. She had witnessed so much death, that she wasn't quite sure she could witness life.

Deb took a deep breath and put back on her stoic face. She shook off Lou again and gave her best fake smile that sometimes Lou was even fooled by. 

"I'm fine. Thanks though," Deb kissed her partner's cheek. She walked away and went back to the waiting room to find Amita asleep and Constance eating some chips. 

Amita woke up the minute she heard the doors that lead to the OGBYN open. Nine Ball came out with the largest smile on her face. 

"Momma over there is the winner," Nine points at Debbie. The women all looked at their phones, they all read November 8th, 1:45 am. Debbie couldn't control the 43 muscles that it took to smile. She beamed relief that Tammy was okay but also pride that she had been right. 

"So it's a boy?" Constance asked. 

"Boy with blue eyes, but they could change over time. The baby was born at 1:29, so we'll just give it to Ocean," Nine Ball said. "She's ready to see a few of you at a time, whenever you're ready."

Constance and Amita waived at Deb and Lou to go first. They both nodded and Lou mouthed "thank you". As they walked through the doors, Constance was on the phone with Rose telling her that the baby was here. 

As they walked down the hall Debbie's confidence dropped again. Could she face this new life? Could she be trusted with being somewhat responsible for its care? I mean Derek and Keri were older, and she thought of them as being able to take care of themselves despite still having to cut up Derek's food and washing Keri's long hair. She hadn't really been that much a part of their life when they were younger. Sure she was there after, but she could walk away at any time. She never had to grow attached and that also meant that they stayed out of harm's way. She was afraid to become too attached. Afraid to be a mother figure. Her father had ruined her, she couldn't do that to another child. Even though it wasn't hers, she knew she would have a big influence over it. After all, they were a family. But all she wanted to do was run. Run as far away from it and never look back. 

Lou could tell Deb's brain was running a million miles a second. She was afraid of what was going on in that brilliant head of Deb's. While it did most things fantastically, once it got to thinking, it was almost impossible to stop. It was a curse and a blessing for them both. It got them out of a lot of trouble professionally, but personally, it got them into a lot of trouble. 

The ladies reached the hospital room but before they entered Nine and Lou realized Debbie was a stopped a few steps behind them. Lou nodded at Nine to go in without them and Nine did just that. Lou walked back and stood in front of Deb. 

"Are you going to tell me what's going on in that big ole brain of yours?" Lou asked as she looked into her lover's eyes. Deb ducked her gaze and turned away. She crossed her arms and bit her lip. Lou stepped back in front of her and locked eyes with the brunette. Deb's chocolatey brown eyes were clouded with fear. 

"I.. I just don't think I deserve to be here," Debbie said softly. 

"What do you mean? You've been with Tammy every step of the way. I mean you're the one she turned to first. You went to all the appointments. You read just about every book about pregnancy and babies. You of all people deserve to be here," Lou said as she stroked Deb's arm. 

"Lou.. what if something happens to him?" Debbie whispered. "Nothing good comes from people who hang around me. That's the Ocean curse, and I can't put something like a child in harm's way. Tammy has a choice, but that little being doesn't."

"And that little being will love every minute of that choice if something ever were to happen. You're going to be his favorite Auntie. You have always been good with kids. And plus, this may be life's way of giving you an opportunity to change that curse. You can instead help give that kid stability and some normalcy. You can be someone your Dad never was," Lou said. 

Deb closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mother tried her best to give her and Danny a normal life. But her father had other ideas and used them regularly in his cons. They were just extra pieces to him in his overall plan and just as expendable as pawns in a chess game. 

"Okay... I'm ready," Debbie said as she opened her eyes. Lou smiled reassuringly at her lover and took Deb's hand in hers. They both walked in the door and smiled at Tammy who was holding a small being close to her chest. 

Tammy's face lit up as she saw her two best friends. They had all been through so much together, and for a while there she had cut them out because she was trying to be everything they weren't. She wanted simple and quaint. But she knew she could still have some of that with them, and honestly, she was so much happier with them by her side. She felt she could tackle this single-mother life with them. She had 7 extra eyes, hands and ears to help her with her now family of 4.  

"Hey guys," Tammy whispered. 

"Hey Momma, how you feeling?" Deb said softly. 

"Like I just pushed a watermelon out of my vagina.." Tammy said. The four women laughed softly. Nine Ball nodded to them all and left the room to leave the 3 alone. 

"Well, have you decided on a name yet Tam-Tam?" Lou asked as she walked toward the now mother of 3. 

"I think so," Tammy said as she stroked the head of the newborn. Deb and Lou stood on opposite sides of Tammy and looked down at the sleeping boy. His eyelids fluttered as he heard the women talking. His nose was definitely Tammy's and so were his ears, though his facial structure was more like his father's. 

"And that would be?" Deb asked as she reached and brushed her finger against the little boy's cheek. 

"Lucas Kane.." Tammy said as she smiled down at her son. "Derek was kind of inspired by you..." Tammy looked up at Debbie and then looked at Lou and continued to say, "So I thought this little guy could be inspired by you."

Lou's eyes watered a bit. She shook her head and gave that iconic  _I can't believe this_ smile that she usually reserved for Debbie's words.

"Wow, I don't know what to say Tam.." Lou said softly. 

"No need to say anything,  just promise to be there for him.. both of you," Tammy said softly as she looked at the two women. 

"We promise," Debbie said confidently. She knew the moment she laid on this child that she would let nothing happen to him. Her heart was oozing love and affection. She didn't even want to think about what her heart would do if she ever had one of these things. 

Their moment was interrupted by Amita and Constance knocking on the door. Lou let them in and they immediately began to fawn over the new addition to the family.  Lou and Deb waived at Tam and left to room to let Amita and Constance get their turn with Lucas. 

The women walked hand in hand back out to the waiting room. Lou let go of Debbie's hand so she could go over and get a drink at the water fountain. Unknown to her, Debbie had followed and once she was done getting a drink of water, Deb pinned Lou up against the wall. 

"Deb what are you...?!" Lou began to say but was interrupted by an aggressively passionate kiss from the brunette. Lou kissed back softly and pulled away. Deb pulled the blonde back in and their lips danced for a few more moments before Lou pulled away again. 

"Deb what's.." Lou again tried to say but was interrupted with words she never thought she'd hear Deborah Ocean say in a million years.

"I want a kid with you Lou Miller."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Baby Tam-Tam is here!! Lucas Kane. I thought it was a fitting name. Anywho, thanks again for reading! I promise smut will be coming in the upcoming chapters. Like I said this is a long ass story. I hope these chapters have kept you interested though. I appreciate all of you. Hope you have a good night/day whenever you're reading this!


	6. Bombshell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Debbie drops a bombshell, Lou drops the ball. Tammy and Nine Ball finally have the talk. And an old friend drops by to make sure Deb is alright. Will everything work out for these 2 couples or will there be trouble in the new found family?

"Whoa whoa wait..." Lou stepped back and looked at the brunette woman as if she had just said the sky was falling. 

"Why? Is that not what you want?" Debbie asked. She immediately began to panic. Had she said too much? Had she scared Lou away?

"Deb, you're not thinking straight right now. You're infected with baby fever and a lot of other emotions that you still won't admit you have. I don't think right now is the greatest time for this conversation," Lou said as she took Deb's hands in hers. 

"No, Lou I am," Debbie said a little too harshly. "I know what I want. I want a kid with you. Actually, I want 3. Maybe 4 but no less than 3."

Lou just stood there unable to find any words at all. She never imagined this conversation going down like this. Nor had she really even imagined Debbie would be the first one to bring up the topic of kids. 

Deb took this silence the wrong way and stormed out of the hospital.  _How could she be so stupid,_  she thought to herself. She had shared a very vulnerable wish with the woman she thought was on the same page only to be rejected. Tears flooded her eyes and a lump grew in her throat. She clenched her hands into fists and kept walking. 

About 30 minutes later, Amita and Constance came through the doors to find Lou standing by herself looking out toward the exit sign. 

"Hey Ma, where's mom?" Constance asked as walked up beside Lou.

"I don't..." Lou fumbled over her words. She was still trying to wrap her head around what just happened. Debbie just explained to her that she wanted kids and she couldn't say anything back but to tell Deb that she was crazy. What in the world was she thinking? She obviously wasn't because if she was she would have said yes in a heartbeat and began planning names right then and there. She had wanted this since she was a teen and when it finally happens all she manages to say was no. God, she could punch herself right now. 

"You okay Lou?" Amita asked softly. Lou shook her head to snap out of being inside her head and nodded at the girls. 

"Yeah, sorry. Umm Deb went to go grab coffee," Lou said.

"Oh okay, cool," Constance said as she sat down. 

Nine Ball came through the doors and told everyone to go home. Tammy was resting well and that they could all come back tomorrow. She promised to update them if anything happened. The 3 women who were left agreed and all drove back to the loft. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nine Ball returned to the hospital room and saw Tammy admiring her newest bundle of joy. 

"He's sure going to be spoiled rotten," Nine Ball said quietly.

"Oh I know, he is one lucky little kid," Tammy said and then smiled at Nine Ball. Nine pulled up a chair and sat beside Tammy. They both watched Lucas's eyelids flicker and his mouth occasionally open. They both reached to caresses his cheek when their hands touched. Neither of them pulled away, instead, Tammy's hand held Lucas's head and her thumb stroked his cheek and Nine placed her hand on top of Tam's. They sat there in silence just watching the little boy dream. 

Tammy's heart was calm, but her mind was racing a million miles a minute. She hadn't felt like this since she had met her ex-husband. There was something about Leslie that she was drawn too. She felt safe and calm yet excited and full of energy all at the same time. She wanted to be near Leslie at all times, but she wasn't sure she was ready for a new relationship after just splitting with her ex. 

Nine Ball's thoughts were running even faster than Tammy's. They had to with her being a hacker. She also felt at home with Tammy. She felt safe and like she could finally be herself. She wasn't used to that. She always was the one taking care of everyone. She practically raised Veronica. She also took care of their deadbeat drunk of a dad while their mom worked 3 jobs trying to make ends meet. Nine Ball made enough money for her mom to not work all that time, but if she if she told them, all of that money would be wasted on alcohol or other frivolous things. She always made sure Veronica had what she needed. Though Roni could take care of herself, Leslie would still always provide her with new clothes, school supplies and any gear she needed. There was always food in the fridge and enough money for the bills if her mom came up short. When she was with Tammy she finally felt like she could relax. She felt guilty, but she enjoyed being taken care of by Tammy. Though in the beginning, Nine was taking care of Tam.

Tam only began sharing a room with Nine Ball after the nightmares started. She'd wake up screaming or crying or both almost every night after she found her husband cheating on her. This went on for weeks. Nine Ball was always the first one up and in Tam's room making sure she was alright. One night, Nine offered to stay in Tam's room while she slept and the rest was history. Tammy never had a nightmare again and surprisingly, Nine Ball slept better with someone next to her. 

After a long moment of silence, Nine Ball whispered, "So.. what are we?" 

The blonde looked into Nine's mocha brown eyes and bit her lip.  

Tammy whispered, "I don't know, I mean we're obviously friends at this point... even family.." 

"Okay but Tam.. we sleep together. I mean no we're not like sleeping  _together_  but we sleep together. We look at each other almost as much as Lou and Deb do. We..." Nine Ball started saying and then was interrupted by Tammy's lips on hers. They kissed slowly and softly. Their lips danced curiously, trying to figure the other one out. Tammy broke their kiss and licked her lips. 

"I'm not ready for something official... something with a label yet. I want to take this slow. I mean, with the new baby and everything, I won't have a lot of time for myself.. and I'm not even sure you even want to be a parental figure to my 3. I know you love them, but being a parent is a lot different than being the fun aunt.." Tammy said softly. She held the sleeping boy close to her and kissed the top of his head. 

"I understand, and I know being a parent is a lot of hard work.. I pretty much raised myself and Roni. I want this to work, I want us to work. So take all the time you need and I promise you, I'll be here every step of the way," Nine Ball said as she looked into Tammy's dark brown eyes. Tammy looked at her new found partner and smiled.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was now November 13th, Tammy and Lucas had come home on the 10th and settled in quite nicely. Everyone took turns watching him and making sure Tammy got enough rest. Derek and Keri were taking to Lucas very well. Though every once and a while one would get jealous if everyone was fixated on Lucas and something new he did. Whenever Tammy wasn't resting or taking care of Lucas, she was trying to spend time with her older kids. She'd take them out on one-on-one outings and try to gauge their feelings about everything. They were good kids and though they didn't quite understand the whole thing with their dad, they made do. They loved having 7 Aunties at their beck and call and truly were happy about Lucas's arrival. 

Deb was still nowhere to be found, even Nine had a hard time collecting information on her. Ever since Nine told her to clean up her footprint before the heist, she became exceptional good at staying off the radar. 

Lou was worried sick but didn't show it. She hardly slept since she was so used to having Deb in the bed. One night it was so bad, she asked Nine if she could sleep in their room with Tammy. Nine of course obliged and slept in her old room. 

"Lou, call her," Tammy said while she put Lucas down in the crib. Lou was laying on Tammy's bed and in a ball. She had told Tammy what Debbie had said that night in the hospital. Tammy honestly couldn't believe the words she said either, but she also knew how in love Debbie was with Lou. She always knew that if Deb was going to change for or because of someone, that someone would be Lou Miller. Back in the day, she believed it might've been her, but that was then and this is now. She was happy for them, truly. But her 19-year-old self still could feel that jab to the heart the day Deb left her for Lou. 

"She needs space Tam, you know that. Bugging her just makes her run away farther," Lou muttered into the pillow. 

"Yeah well, it's also her that usually is lost for words and waits too long to say something," Tammy said. She sat on the bed and rubbed Lou's back. Those words stung Lou a little more than they should have. Tammy was right. Lou was the one who froze and said something stupid. 

"If you don't go after her, she'll think you don't want that with her.. She gave you a very rare look into her future ideas that didn't involve a heist, you said something dumb and now her walls are going to be thicker than ever if you keep waiting to tell her you were stupid," Tammy continued to say. 

"I hate when you're right," Lou muttered and sighed. Lou sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. She began to say, "I don't even know where to look for..." when Tammy slipped her a piece of paper. 

"Deb's there," Tammy said quickly.

"How did you..?" Lou looked at her extremely confused. Nine had said she hadn't been able to find her. All Tammy did was shake her head. Lou nodded, looked at the paper and knew exactly where that was. It was one of Deb's old houses, the one she found out her mother had died. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About an hour out of New York City the Ocean's lived in New Rochelle, NY. It was close enough to the city for them to be in the hustle and bustle but it also allowed them to escape it too. Deb's mother had insisted they live in a quiet suburb to not raise any suspicion. They lived below their means just in case Deb's father ever got caught or a heist didn't go as planned. 

While below their means was way above Lou's, Deb always hated living the way they did. When she was younger she didn't quite understand just how money worked. The fresh crisp air felt nice against Lou's body. She loved the city, but it was also nice to get out of the smoke and smog and actually breathe clean air. Her mind kept playing the hospital scene over and over trying to figure out where it all went wrong. Why she couldn't come up with any words to say and why she just froze when her lover walked out. 

When Lou got to the house she found the lights on and two shadows dancing in the window. She could make out Deb, but she didn't know who the other person was. She parked her bike a few houses down so Deb wouldn't see her. She reached down into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled down her contacts til she found "JLBRD" and typed out 

Lou -> JLBRD:  *I'm outside*. 

She hesitated for a few moments before she hit send. Her heart was racing a million miles a minute. She didn't know if Deb would even respond.

After what seemed like hours later, Lou finally heard the *ding* on her phone. She swiped up and it was a message from an unknown number. 

380-551-1123 -> Lou: *She doesn't want to talk to you*

This made Lou furious. Who the fuck was in that house and telling her that Deb didn't want to talk. She quickly pulled up Nine Ball's number and shot her a text,

Lou -> Nine Ball:  *Who the fuck is this number.. 380-556-0098. They're with Deb*. 

Within a minute Nine Ball sent a picture and a name. Lou looked down and immediately recognized him. Rusty? Really? She didn't know him and Deb were still close. 

She messaged the number back again.  

Lou -> Rusty: *Rust come on, don't be like this. I need to talk to her.* 

The little *whoosh* sound echoed as her message sent. There was no response for a good 5 minutes. Within that time, Lou had already walked around the block and was standing in the driveway. 

Rusty -> Lou: *Fine. But I'm staying.*

As Lou walked up to the house the door swung open. A familiar face stood there in the doorway waiting for her. 

"You really fucked up Miller," Rusty said harshly. Lou bit her lip and let out a soft sigh. Rusty then pulled her in for a quick unexpected hug. 

"You look good though Lou. It's really nice to see you again. I just wish it were under better circumstances," Rusty whispered in her ear. He pulled back and let the blonde in. As she entered the house she saw the Ocean family pictures hung in the entrance way. Danny's leather jacket hung on the coat rack as well as Mr. Ocean's trench coat. It looked as if nothing ever moved out of place. She walked into the living room to find the same old furniture she used to curl up with Deb in. She could see her and Mrs. Ocean talking at the dining room table about her relationship with Deb. 

"This place hasn't changed on bit Rust," Lou said quietly. 

"No, I've kept it this way all these years. Mrs. Ocean loved this home and it was only fair it was the one house that stood standing after everything. Also, if Danny is still alive, he will always know he has a place to stay. Deb too. I wrote her in prison offering her this place once she got out," Rusty said as he leaned up against the wall. Rusty was like a big brother to her and Deb. The four of them were close, though each pair knew their roles. 

After a few minutes of silence Deb down the stairs and walked right past Lou. Lou held her breath as the brunette walked by. She could feel the air change and room get extremely tense. Rusty stayed put as the blonde approached the other woman. Debbie grabbed the cup of tea that was in the kitchen and sat down in her father's recliner. 

"Why are you here?" Debbie asked with a blank expression and no emotion in her voice. Lou was taken back a bit by this new persona but she should have expected it. 

"I'm here to apologize and I'm here to explain myself," Lou said as she sat across Deb on the couch. 

"Proceed then," Deb said as she pressed her lips against the cup. 

"I..." Lou paused as she looked at Rusty. Rusty just stared at her, letting her know he wasn't budging. Lou took a deep breath and looked at Deb again before she said, "At the hospital, I was so taken back by your words I lost all of mine. And the only rational thing I could come up with was that you were just saying those things because of all the emotions going on in the room. I know it was stupid and I'm sorry.  I'm sorry I freaked out and tried to make it seem like your words weren't genuine.."

Deb just sipped on her tea and gave no facial expression to indicate to the blonde that she was heading in the right or even wrong direction. 

"Debbie, I have wanted a future with you since the day I met you. I planned it here within these walls. I talked with your mother at the dining table about how to go about living a normal life with an Ocean. I want us to live in California. I want us to get married there. I want us to start a family there and raise kids. I want to be the soccer mom who yells at the coach for not putting her baby in. I want to go with you to parent-teacher conferences. I want to grow old with you. Deborah Ocean, I want a lifetime with you. And I'm sorry I couldn't say that earlier. But I do, god I do.." Lou said with a fiery passion in her voice. 

The brunette hid her expression behind the mug but her demeanor relaxed a bit. She knew when Lou was lying and when she wasn't and this time she knew Lou was being sincere.  Deb set her cup down on the side table and looked at Lou. 

"You're going to have to really prove that Miller," Debbie said softly yet sternly. 

"And I will, I will spend every single day until you decide, proving to you that I want this. I will wait for months, even years if that's what you need. I want us," Lou said desperately. She inched forward in her seat toward Deb and Deb pulled her knees up. Lou knew this was going to take some serious time, and she was ready for it. She wasn't going to let their future together be obliterated because of what she couldn't say. They had worked too hard and fought for too long not to give this their everything. 

Deb turned the recliner and put on football. Rusty went upstairs into Danny's old room and stayed there the rest of the night. Lou sat and watched the brunette watching the game. She wondered what was going on in that big brilliant brain. She pulled a blanket over her and began to doze off. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Lou woke the next morning she found herself back at the loft in her own bed. She sat up immediately and realized she had a pounding headache. She looked around and realized her clothes from yesterday were on the floor. All she was wearing was her bra and boxers. She didn't see any evidence of Deb anywhere and that scared her. 

"How the fuck did I get here...?" Lou said aloud as she rubbed her forehead. 

"I brought you," Rusty said as he exited the master bath wearing nothing but a towel. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's so long! But there was just too much to cover and I didn't really want to split it up. I could have but it just (to me) flowed better this way. Hope you all are still interested, please feel free to leave constructive criticism or any new ideas! Hope you are having a good night/day whenever you are reading this! Thanks again.
> 
> xoxo


	7. Plan L

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little blurb before you read too far, I reference a fight that happened 7 years ago. It is explained more in my one shot called "8 Letters". You do not have to read it though to understand anything.

Lou covered herself up with the sheet as she heard Rusty's voice. 

"Oh, don't worry, we didn't do anything," Rusty said as he gathered his clothes. "I slept on the couch downstairs. This girl named Tammy helped you take your clothes off. I promise I didn't look."

"How did we get here?" Lou said still very confused.

"You must've been really drunk, I don't think I've ever seen you black out," Rusty said and sat down on the bed beside her. "You and Deb started drinking once the football game was over. You bet the Cowboy's would win and she bet the Giants would win. Whenever the opposing team scored, you took a shot.

Lou closed her eyes and slowly she started remembering bits and pieces of that night.

********

"Hey Lou," Debbie said. She didn't move from her position in the recliner nor did she even turn to face the blonde as she called her name out. 

"Hmm yes?" the blonde said half asleep.

"Wanna bet?" the brunette. While Lou wasn't much of an actual gambler herself, she could never turn down a challenge against the mighty Ocean. 

"Sure, what we betting on?" the blonde said as she sat up on the couch. 

"The game," Debbie said as she pointed at the TV. The New York Giants were the Ocean's team. Their father took them to at least one game a year when they were younger. Lou even went a few times back when they were teens. 

"Alright, sure. I suppose you have the Giants winning? So.. I guess I'll take the Cowboys," Lou said as she examined the TV. 

"Wise choice Miller. Also, whenever the opposing team scores, we have to take a shot," Debbie said. She turned the recliner around and looked at the blonde. She wanted to study her face and read her reaction to the bet to better gauge where they stood. 

"Sure, I'll get the glasses and the alcohol," Lou said. She looked at Debbie and studied her face too. She couldn't quite tell what this bet was about other than football. Lou walked over to the kitchen and pulled out their old shot glasses from their trip to Vegas and a bottle of vodka. She set them on the coffee table and poured each glass full. They both took a shot at kickoff and continued throughout the night whenever someone scored.

By the time the Giants had scored 3 touchdowns, Lou was already feeling it. She also felt more courageous and decided to ask what the stakes where when someone lost. 

"So, what happens if Ms. Deborah Ocean wins?" Lou said loudly. Deb looked over at the blonde who was clearly struggling. It was odd that Lou was already feeling the effects after only 3 shots. She was usually the heavyweight in the group. But she was also running on an empty stomach and had not had any sleep for the past few days. 

"Well, I think you owe me a night where I'm completely in charge," Debbie said as she bit her lip. 

"Hmm interesting request but I'll buy it. And if I win, you gotta come home," Lou said as she reached over and booped Deb on the nose. Deb brushed Lou's hand away softly and they continued to watch the game.

********

Lou opened her eyes to find Rusty still there but this time fully clothed. He was looking around their room and eyeing the pictures on the wall. 

"So I'm guessing I lost?" Lou said as she ran her fingers through her hair. 

"Oh yeah, big time," Rusty said. He looked through the women's dresser and went through a few drawers. He knew how Deb kept her clothes so he knew which ones he could look in and which ones he should avoid. 

"So... what happened after the game?" Lou asked. 

"Look at your body, maybe that'll spark a memory," Rusty said a little bit annoyed. 

"My body..?" Lou said a bit shocked. She covered herself again as she looked over her body. 

"I'm not looking, I knew better than to try anything, as did Danny. Debbie had you locked down and away from us the moment you two met," Rusty said as he rummaged through a few of Danny's old t-shirts. This made Lou blush. She could imagine young Debbie threatening her brother and Rusty and the rest of the gang. She could see that wag of the finger and that look in Deb's eye. 

Lou then examined her body and she was absolutely covered in hickeys. She had bite marks that trailed up her leg and she could feel some of the indents on her chest. She could also see nail marks in her thigh. Lou traced all the marks with her fingers and everything slowly came back to her.

********

"Hmm it's time to pay up loser," Deb said smirking. The blonde was completely wasted after the 7 shots. She got up slowly and immediately fell over. Deb rushed over and picked her up and helped carry the blonde up the stairs and into Deb's old room. She laid the blonde down on the bed and began taking her clothes off. 

"What are you doing?" the blonde said all jumbled together. 

"You owe me Miller," Deb said as she kissed each new bare body part she uncovered. 

"Hmmm I suppose I do," Lou said as she watched the brunette go to work. Debbie slowly peeled back Lou's clothing layers bit by bit. Lou tried to hurry up the pace but was quickly reminded that she had lost the bet when Debbie tied her hands to the headboard. She just bit her lip as she remembered doing that to Deb when they were younger. 

Debbie took her time with her lover. She examined every freckle, blemish, scar, and mark that was on Lou's skin. Deb started at Lou's toes and worked her way up leaving small love marks and bites as she went along. She loved every inch of Lou, and even though she knew it pretty damn well, she was always amazed every time she got up close and really studied her. She traced her tongue over the scar on Lou's thigh that she got when they ran away from the cops in Florida. She sucked on the cluster of freckles that looked like the big dipper right below Lou's hip. She licked up Lou's stomach and left big marks on Lou's chest and around her breasts. She kissed the scar on Lou's side that she got when they got into a car wreck after senior prom. While Debbie did all this, Lou let out soft moans and sighs of approval and pleasure. She wasn't used to being taken care of like this, she honestly really didn't like much attention, but tonight was different. She revealed in the fact that Deb was opening up again, even if it was just physically. 

Deb took Lou's right nipple between her lips and sucked softly. She took the left between her thumb and index finger and rubbed and pinched at it. Lou's moans got louder as she was becoming more turned on. Deb kept going as if she couldn't hear her lover's cries of pleasure. She switched her fingers and mouth and continued to tease Lou's nipples til they were as hard as she could get them. Deb slowly then made her way back down to Lou's waist leaving a trail of more marks and sloppy wet kisses as she went. 

Lou could feel every single fiber of her being, being electrified with pleasure. She could feel each and every nerve fire off as she felt those kisses and marks being left on her skin. She moaned and groaned in ecstasy. Deb then spread Lou's legs and began kitten licking Lou's clit. 

"God you know how to make a woman feel amazing," Lou whispered huskily.

"Hmm my name is Ocean for a reason.." Debbie whispered playfully as she dipped into Lou's center which was leaking with cum. 

"Bloody hell..." Lou cursed. 

"Hmm if this were blood we wouldn't be doing this," Deb said again as she smirked. Lou just rolled her eyes. Deb slipped her tongue into the blonde and licked feverishly. Lou's moans now echoed off the walls. She couldn't contain herself anymore, the liquor and the pure feeling of bliss too over. Lou bucked her hips to try and fuck herself on Deb's tongue but was held down forcefully by Deb. 

"You know the rules Miller, break them again and we're done here," Debbie said cautioning Lou. Lou nodded and did her best to stay still. 

Deb loved tasting Lou, it was familiar, something she knew instantly the moment it touched her lips. While Lou never truly tasted the same due to diet and etc, she knew Lou's taste from anyone else's and she would do anything to be the only one that got to dip into this sweet nectar. She also knew Lou like she knew the blueprints of the first bank she ever robbed. She could still see it etched into her brain. Lou's body was etched into Deb's brain, which helped guide her lips and tongue into and around every fold Lou had. Deb's nails dug into Lou's thighs as she tried to control her lover's movements. A soft moan escaped her lips as she pushed her tongue deeper into Lou. 

Deb slowly fucked Lou with her tongue, feeling her walls contract around her tongue. Lou's legs began to shake, her breathing got heavy and deep. These were all signs that pointed out that Lou was very close to her climax. Cum dripped down Ocean's chin and onto the sheets the faster she fucked Lou. 

"Fuck, Deb.. I'm so close. Don't stop baby," Lou whimpered. 

Deb did as she was told and didn't stop. Instead, she picked up her pace and reached up with her right hand and began massaging Lou's breast. She pinched her nipple and rubbed it in sync with her fucking Lou. Deb's pace was steady, her tongue moved like clockwork. She fucked with eagerness, but not urgency. They weren't teenagers anymore just trying to get each other off or avoid detection. Lou's moans were loud and frantic. Lou was so close, but she didn't want to cum just yet. 

"Daddy please cum for me..." Debbie said muffled against Lou's center.

Being called Daddy was one of Lou's ultimate kinks, and Debbie played that to her advantage whenever she got the change. Lou knew she wasn't going to last much longer after hearing Deb beg like that. 

"Daddy please, for your princess.." Debbie whined softly like a little kid asking for candy. 

"God damnit, Deb I'm.." Lou's sentence was immediately interrupted by a string of cuss words and a loud "uh uh" sounds as Lou came. Her walls contracted against Deb's tongue and cum flowed out of her like a waterfall. Deb sucked and licked up every drop of Lou's cum that she could before rolled down her face and onto the sheets. 

Lou's body shook as she rode out her orgasm. Right as she about caught her breathe, Lou felt Debbie exit her and begin to work on her clit. 

"Deb.. I.." Lou was again interrupted by her own body and soft moans replaced her words. She was so sensitive, but the brunette didn't care. She kept licking as if the blonde hadn't had an orgasm. Debbie made figure 8's around the blonde's swollen clit. She would alternate between flicking Lou's clit with her tongue and her finger. She would also suck on Lou's clit to change things up a bit. This went on for what seemed hours. Debbie would find new ways to stimulate Lou and force her body to succumb to another orgasm.

********

Lou was snapped back to reality when she heard Constance and Amita downstairs with Lucas. She looked back at Rusty who was now reading a book in the window nook. 

"So.... I guess you heard all that.." Lou said as she looked down trying to hide her embarrassment. 

"It's not like I haven't heard it before. But this time I must say you were much louder than usual," Rusty said without looking up from his book. 

Lou gave him a very puzzled look. She hadn't seen Rusty in over 10 years. She messaged him once Deb was put away and when he told her Danny was dead, but she couldn't recall ever having sex with him near, especially having sex with Deb. Rusty looked up and raised his eyebrow at Lou. 

"You really think Danny and I didn't hear you two back in the day? Despite us being down the hall, we knew what you two were up to," Rusty said unimpressed with Lou's confusion. This made Lou blush even more.

"Okay.. well then why did I end up here after?" Lou asked. 

"Deb asked me to take you home. You passed out after the.. hmm 9th round? And Deb got up, went into my room and I took you home," Rusty said looking back down at his book. 

"Okay, but why?" Lou asked again a bit harsher. She didn't understand how after all that Deb could just ask her to go away. 

"You lost the bet, she didn't have to come home. But if you had stayed, she knew you two were going to have to have the talk and she wasn't ready. You really did a number on her Miller. You pretty much dismissed her future plans with you. I don't even think Danny knew Deb ever thought about that sort of stuff. Yet she told you she wanted multiple kids with you and all you could say was that she wasn't thinking in her right mind. So now she's rethought everything, and I'm not sure she's going to be ready to express that want again anytime soon. She may have thrown that entire future out the window. The one where you get everything you've been dreaming of since you met her," Rusty said with some disappointment in his voice. 

He had every right to be disappointed in her. Lou felt horrible for what she had said and he was unfortunately really spot on about Deb's thought process. She had plan A-K all laid out in her head and was ready at any given moment to throw one out if it meant she didn't get hurt or get caught. And Deb had thrown away plans A-J so that she could be with Lou in the long run. And now she had nothing and Deb couldn't function without a plan. 

Lou sighed and tears formed in her eyes. How could she have been so stupid and careless? She might have just ruined her chance at having a long lasting "normal" future with Deb, all because she got frazzled. She looked up at Rusty like a kid who had just broken her mom's favorite vase. She was crushed, guilt-ridden and close to sobbing. 

"Can I fix this?" Lou asked pitifully trying to hold back tears.

"I honestly don't know Lou. I've never seen Deb so shaken after something. Not even when you two had that fight 7 years ago. She didn't have a plan there either, but she was driven to do something. Now, she's barely had the will to eat," Rusty said softly. He hurt for Lou and Deb. He had watched their relationship blossom over the years. He had also watched it turn sour. And while he always was on Deb's side, he knew this time was different. He knew how much Lou wanted that "normal" future and it killed him to think that she and Deb weren't going to get it after all these years. 

Lou began to shake uncontrollably and the floodgates opened. Tears rolled down her cheeks faster than she could wipe them away. Rusty sat next to her and held her close. Tammy came into the room and wrapped Lou up in her arms on the other side. She gave Rusty the _I got this, go take care of the other one_ look. Rusty held on a little longer before slowly letting Lou go into Tammy's arms. He mouthed the words  _thank you_ and slipped out of the room.

He waived to all the other women who were still at the house as he exited, but before he left he heard a small voice say, "Make sure my mom is okay". He turned around and found Constance curled up on the couch looking defeated. He nodded at her and drove back to New Rochelle. He found Deb asleep on the couch clutching the mug half full of tea. He took it from her and placed it on the coffee table. He sat down next to the brunette and studied her carefully. He watched her chest go up and down and her eyelids flutter as she dreamed. 

"I promised to protect you. I promised to see to it that you got your happy ending, unlike Danny. So, that means I'm gonna help Lou break down these walls of yours, even if you don't want me too. I am going to help you create Plan L," Rusty whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hopefully scared a few of you into thinking Lou just made the biggest mistake of her life. But she didn't. Luckily Rusty knows better. Hopefully the lady loving was good enough, I know I haven't added it in anywhere in a while. The 8 (*)'s are suppose to signify a flashback, hope that was a clear enough indicator. Again, thanks you for all your support. I hope you are having a great night/day whenever you are reading this!


	8. Prove It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does the team have up their sleeves to help Lou win back Ms. Ocean?

It had been a week since Lou and Deb's encounter. Deb was still shacked up at her old house and the rest of the girls were at the loft. Besides a few awkward minutes of silence every now and then, everything at the loft was going just fine. Amita was in contact with her uncle and getting ready for the move. She was going to stay with him and his wife until she could find a place herself. Not that she didn't have the money, but she wanted to see the place for herself before she committed to something. Daphne found a house a few houses down from Khloe Kardashian and Tammy was still house hunting. Constance really didn't need to plan much, all she really had to do was sell her new loft that she honestly barely used. Lou and Nine Ball were bouncing ideas off about the club/bar and if it was a good idea to connect them or keep them separate. Nine Ball's vibe for her place was much more lowkey biker joint than a young adult club.

"So, I was thinking, the club would be downstairs, like in the basement of the bar," Lou said as she pointed at blueprints of a building in Santa Monica.

"Yeah that's an idea," Nine Ball said as she scrolled through some pictures. 

"I mean we don't have to, we can have your bar downstairs and my club on the ground floor and up above. It's whatever you think would be best. I want you comfortable," Lou said as she watched the pictures go by on the screen. 

"I'm still not sure our vibes match enough though. And I think people would get turned off by the idea of having it split unless we were open on different nights. Most of my crowd doesn't want to be near yours and vise versa," Nine Ball commented as she looked over Lou and then herself. Lou nodded. 

"I would love to, but I just think our vibes don't match," Nine Ball continued. "But I promise I will do security for your club though."

"Alright, I can live with that," Lou said. She kissed the top of Nine Ball's head and walked off with a magazine in tow. As Lou left, Tammy took her spot next to Nine Ball with Lucas in her hands. They both quickly became immersed in conversation about the bar and where they wanted it. 

Lou went upstairs to her and Debbie's room. It felt so empty there, but it was the only spot in the house where Lou could still feel her presence. Daphne followed the blonde upstairs and into the bedroom undetected. Lou sat on the bed and immediately jumped when she saw Daphne standing there. 

"Geezus Daph, you could have said something," Lou said clutching her chest as if she had just had a heart attack. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to talk," Daphne said as she sat on the bed. 

"Yeah, sure what's up?" Lou asked. 

"What happened at the hospital?" Daphne questioned. 

"That's none of your business," Lou said with a bit of annoyance in her tone. She knew one of them would ask at some point other than Tammy. Lou never expected it to be Daphne though. 

"But it is, as much as I don't like owning up to it in public, we're a family. And literally, the one woman who formed us is missing and the second in command has been putting on an act for the last week," Daphne snapped back. 

"I have no control over what Deb does Daph. She's a grown adult, we all are. We make our own choices," Lou replied with the same amount of attitude. 

"Well I for one know it's much bigger than that. We may all be adults but that woman does not make a decision not based off of you in some fashion. Her whole world has revolved around you since the day the heist was over. God knows what you two did during the 3 months we all split up. So, spit it out, what happened?" Daphne said as she put her chin in her hand. She gave Lou that  _I'm not going anywhere til you talk_  look. Lou just sighed and rolled her eyes at the brunette. Daphne was being childish, but she also wasn't wrong. 

"Alright, fine. Deb admitted to me that she wanted a kid after seeing Lucas. I freaked out and told her that she wasn't thinking straight and dismissed her plans for us. Now we're here and I don't know if I just lost the one thing I have been dreaming about since before you were born," Lou muttered quietly. Daphne squinted at the blonde for that comment about her being so young but she quickly let it slide.

"Well have you talked to her about it?" Daphne asked. Lou just gave her that  _no shit Sherlock_  look.  

Daphne glared again and said "okay, well rude, but also why don't you show her? You know, go outside her window and play music from a boombox sort of thing. I mean, obviously, she needs you to prove it, and you staying here isn't doing that."

"She doesn't want me there Daphne, I was driven home at god knows what time just so that she wouldn't have to talk to me," Lou explained. 

"Of course she doesn't want to talk. What Ocean thinks words are meaningful? They're cons. They twist words all the time. I mean, come on, the truth is what got her locked up. So you need to do something. You need to show her in some grand ass gesture what the hell you want," Daphne said with simple directness. The idea had crossed Lou's mind once but she truly never gave it much thought. Daphne was right, the Ocean's never took anyone's word at face value. Despite her hoping Debbie could finally trust Lou again personally, she knew deep down that she had only scratched the surface of Deb. They were partners in every sense of the word but when it came to lovers they still had a few kinks to work out. 

"So what do you suggest I do?" Lou inquired. 

"I say do a visual of some sort. Like a movie or PowerPoint. She needs to see evidence that you've planned this out. She needs pictures of you and her and wedding dresses and tiny little baby feet and a house on the coast and whatever else you two have planned. She also needs a blueprint of the club, the house you're going to get and any other buildings you may have.  You should also create a list of essential things you want in your new dream house, baby names, and anything else that would show her what you want and what you have pictured you two doing together. Because seeing it all laid out like that in front of her would get through her thick skull a lot better than you spitting out words. I would also suggest proposing but maybe that's a little too soon... how about a promise ring?" Daphne laid out. Lou just sat there in shock. She couldn't believe what had just came out of Daphne's mouth and she, even more, couldn't believe that she was about to take advice from her too. 

"Where, how.. when did you come up with this?" Lou stammered. 

"I mean, I'm not as stupid as I look. Though I will never read Deb as well as you or Tammy, I know that's the kind of person she is. I am that way too. You gotta show me otherwise I won't believe it. Acting and conning are quite similar. Both businesses involve a lot of words that don't mean shit," Daphne explained. 

"Well, thank you. But I don't even know where to start," Lou confessed. 

"Oh darling, don't you worry about that. We got you covered," Daphne smirked. She snapped her fingers and the rest of the women were standing outside the bedroom door. Lou did her iconic  _I can't believe this_  look and looked up at the women standing there. 

"Alright, where to we begin?" Lou asked. The women plus Lucas all filed into the room and began throwing out ideas. Lou sat back and listened to all them. She couldn't believe she had all these people, let alone, people trying to help her win Debbie back. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Another week had passed and there was still no contact directly with Deb. Lou had called Rusty and informed him of her plan and was immediately on board. He updated Lou once a day about how Deb was doing as well as sent any suggestions he had for the plan. 

Constance went around the city taking pictures of places, art, people, dogs, and anything else she thought might be helpful in painting Lou's picture for Deb. She also vlogged her journeys on her YouTube but never mentioned anything about what she was doing, just in case Debbie watched her videos. Which Debbie did while she as at her house. She missed all the girls, especially Constance. Though she really wasn't a motherly type, she found it comforting that someone thought of her as one. This is what partially gave her hope in the idea that one day she and Lou could be parents. 

 Rose was helping Daphne shoot scenes which depicted scenarios that could be played out in Lou's and Debbie's life. She helped behind the camera when they were doing just mini shots, but her main role was to dress Lou. Not that Lou couldn't do it herself, but she helped her choice pallets that worked for certain lighting and moods. Lou wasn't much for being on film, but Daphne was good enough at directing and making sure she felt comfortable. They filmed in the Met, which took a lot of convincing on Daphne's part after the whole Gala fiasco. They traveled to Danny and Deb's favorite doughnut shop growing up, they went to the Statue of Liberty and even did a scene at Debbie and Lou's old apartment. As each scene was being filmed, Lou could sense the excitement bubbling up inside her. She really started to believe this might actually work.

Tammy was finding blueprints and making lists of the things Daphne suggested. She found a few places that could work as Lou's club and started putting labels on it. She also found a beachfront loft that she thought would be perfect for their house. She started designing a layout and putting her own creative spin on each room. She created a buck-list Lou wrote down for her and made a few lists of baby names. Her 19-year-old heart broke slowly as she did all this. She hated how Deb still had this much control over her. They were barely anything, yet she had fallen head over heels for Deb. She would've given the brunette her whole life, and she still would. As she sat at her desk she held Lucas close to her. She loved her kids and had been happy with her life she carved for herself. Though as each day went by she also could see herself letting go of Debbie and being happy with Nine Ball. 

Lastly, Nine Ball was editing and putting everything the women collected together.  She used Photoshop when she needed to and started making the video come together. It was a mixture of clips and stills. She wasn't as skilled at this as she was at hacking but she was going to her damn best to make this the best thing she ever created. While she wasn't that invested in Debbie's and Lou's relationship, she knew how much this meant to all of them. While she would never admit it, she felt in debt to them. Deb had in fact created the closest thing Nine Ball ever knew to a family and Lou had been the one to hire her and stick up for her. This is the least she could do for them. 

Once everything was completed the women all gathered around the living room and Nine Ball began to play it on the projector. Music played in the background while Lou's voice explained some things every once and a while. Immediately Rose was a crying mess. She barely got through the first minute before she started balling. Tammy snuggled close to Nine Ball as her heart also was breaking into pieces but also overflowing with so much love. Constance hid her expression behind a pillow, but soon her eyes began to water. The video lasted a good 20 minutes and by the end of it, everyone had tears in their eyes and a heart full of hope and a belief in true love. 

Lou wiped her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself. She couldn't believe how beautiful the video was, and if this didn't win Debbie back, nothing could. Lou stood up in front of the projector screen and looked at the group of women who looked like they just watched the best chick flick in the entire world.

"I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. None of you had to help me.. I mean I fucked up and honestly, I wouldn't really want to interject myself in a relationship as complicated as Deb's and mine. But I appreciate it more than you'll ever know," Lou said earnestly. 

Constance ran up and hugged Lou tightly. Lou was a bit taken back by this but she embraced the small woman tightly. Constance looked up at her with big brown eyes and whispered, "It was only right to help the two women who created this family."

Lou kissed the top of Constance's head and smiled to herself. She really had a family and she was going to do everything to keep it together. After all, they are Ocean's 8. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

At this point Debbie barely got out of bed. She went down to get herself a cup of tea every morning and refilled it throughout the day. Rusty watched TV downstairs most of the day. He didn't want to leave Deb alone just in case she forgot to be human. While Deb didn't eat much, he always had the kitchen stocked with things she could microwave or eat plain. He also found himself lulling Deb to sleep after she'd wake up from a nightmare. Rusty had never seen his baby sister like this and it broke him. He promised Danny that he'd take care of her and give her everything Danny couldn't have. 

********

"I'm leaving for a while Rust," Danny said as he sipped on some coffee. 

"Where to?" Rusty asked curiously. 

"I don't know bud, but I need to do this alone," Danny replied with a certain seriousness in his voice. 

"Okay? Sure," Rusty hesitated. They barely went places without each other. Though there as never any romantic feelings despite many people's questioning looks, they were like a bonded pair. They were almost as attached to each other as Deb and Lou.

"Just promise me something Rust," Danny said with a hint of sadness behind his voice. Rusty didn't like where this conversation was going. He could feel it in his bones that Danny was going to ask him to do something that was going to be an almost impossible task. 

"Yeah sure boss.." Rusty trailed off. 

"Promise me you'll take care of Deb...." Danny pleaded. Rusty had never known Danny to beg for something so it surprised him to hear this tone in his voice. 

Danny continued, "I know she's like your baby sister too, but you have to promise me that if something happens to me, or even if it doesn't... while I'm gone, you gotta make sure she's okay. She's going to be getting out of jail soon. She's going to be so lost. You have to make sure she gets her happy ending unlike me, unlike my father and unfortunately unlike my mother. While she's a mastermind of her own, she doesn't need this. She still has time to get out. I love her, and I did a shitty job of showing her, so you gotta do that for me. Make sure she is happy, which we all know includes that girl Lou."

The guys both laughed. They had known about the two's love affair for as long as they had known them. They met in college at a club one night. While Lou never actually attended the college she hung around the town committing small cons and hustles and Debbie picked up on that immediately. After that, the rest was history. 

Rusty was quickly reminded of the topic of the conversation when Danny cleared his throat. He really didn't want to promise Danny this. Not because he didn't love Deb, but because he could sense that this meant Danny was doing something that possibly ended in him not coming back. 

"I promise Danny," Rusty muttered. 

"I need you to mean it Rust. I can't leave until I know she's going to be taken care of," Danny said sternly. 

"Alright. I'll take care of her," Rusty promised. 

********

"Rusty?" Debbie croaked. 

"Yeah kiddo?" Rusty said as he stroked her hair. 

Deb ignored the fact that she was just called a kid and continued, "I'm so tired."

"Tired of what kiddo?" Rusty asked as he wrapped his arms around her. 

"Tired of being hurt, let down... I'm just so tired," Deb whimpered. 

"I know little bird," Rusty reassured her. He rocked her slowly until she fell asleep. 

He left her in her room and went downstairs. His phone was blinking notifying him that he got a text. He checked it and it was from Lou.

Lou-> Rusty: *Plan L is ready whenever she is.*

Rusty looked toward Deb's room and bit his lip. He began to type back.

Rusty-> Lou: *She's tired. I don't know if she'll be up to this*. Not a minute later, he gets another reply from Lou. 

Lou-> Rusty: *Please just try Rust. I am begging you. If she isn't okay, but just ask*

Rusty sighed. He wanted this to work, but he also knew how tired she was. She barely ate, barely slept, and it took him carrying her for her to even consider a shower. Rusty began to type again.

Rusty-> Lou: *I will once she wakes up, I won't wake her up*

Lou-> Rusty: *I understand, thank you Rust*

Rusty closed his phone, shoved it in his pocket and returned upstairs. He found Deb laying on the floor as if she had tried to get up and fell. He rushed over and picked her up. 

"God Deb you should have called for me," Rusty scolded gently. 

"Rusty I'm fine.." Deb said as she clinged onto him for dear life. 

"No you're not and I can't do this anymore. I can't let you throw yourself away like this," Rusty confessed.

"What do you mean?" Deb questioned. Rusty sat her on the bed and started going through Deb's closet. He picked out a white button up and some black pants. He also tossed a pair of black boots and a scarf. 

"Come on, it's time to get ready," Rusty asserted. 

"Ready for what?" Deb asked. 

"Please Deb, just get ready," Rusty pleaded. Deb gave him one last confused look before she started to get dressed. Rusty stayed right outside the door just in case she needed help. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and responded to Lou.

Rusty -> Lou: *She's getting ready, she's weak but I think she'll be alright for this*.

 Immediately his phone went off, but instead Lou was calling him. He stepped away from the door slightly and whispered into the phone, "Lou she's right there,"

"I know Rust but what do you mean she's weak. We can wait, I don't want her to make her uncomfortable," Lou whispered back. 

"Well she's not going to eat anymore in the next few days so waiting isn't going to do much," Rusty said. 

"Okay, well we have food here, just get her some fluids I guess..." Lou started to say but was cut off by Rusty. 

"I know how to take care of someone Lou. I promise I'll get her in one piece if you promise this is actually going to work," Rusty uttered. 

"I am going to do my best," Lou whispered. 

"Alright, see you in 20," Rusty said and then hung up the phone. 

Deb stumbled slightly out of her room. She was dressed in what he had picked out but she added some jewelry and her hair was brushed. Her make up was simple but elegant. She raised her eyebrow when she saw Rusty's phone. Rusty slipped the phone back into his pocket slowly trying not to raise any more suspicion.  

"Just the restaurant I picked out. Wanted to make sure our reservation was still good," Rusty said as he smiled. He was just about as good of a liar as Danny and Deb, so Deb didn't question him after that. He got her into the car and drove them back into the city. He pulled up to the Met museum and hopped out of the car. Deb looked around and she was thoroughly confused.  Rusty opened the car door and helped Deb out. 

"Why are we here? This isn't a restaurant," Deb said perplexed. 

"You'll see," Rusty said as he leads her into the museum. They walked into an empty exhibit room where a table for two was set. There were candles at the table and all around the room. Deb covered her mouth and took all this in slowly. Rusty pulled out the chair and Deb sat down. Suddenly a figure appeared from the shadows and it was Constance in a waiter suit. She smiled softly at Deb trying not to freak out and set down two Caesar salads.  She then backed away. 

"Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice asked from behind. The brunette didn't turn around but she shook her head. 

"Nope," Deb said softly.

"Do you mind if I join you?" the voice asked gently. She didn't want to scare the brunette away. 

"No, go right ahead," Debbie replied. The blonde sat down but she didn't look directly toward the brunette. They sat in silence for a few moments until Debbie picked up her fork and took a bite of the salad. Suddenly a screen lowered from the ceiling and an old movie count down began. Deb raised her eyebrow and watched until the title screen popped up. It read  **The Debbie and Lou Gallery.**  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so sorry about the wait. I just got in sort of a funk. This one is a long one I know and if you're reading this, WOW. Thank you so much for sticking it out. I really do appreciate each and every one of you. I hope you are having a great night/day whenever you're readying this. 
> 
> xoxo


	9. The Debbie and Lou Gallery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Lou win Deb back with this grand gesture of love, or will it all fail at the end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so again this chapter does reference some things that happen in my one shot called, "8 Letters". You do not have to read it though to understand this plot.

Debbie took another bite of her salad and looked at the blonde out of the corner of her eye trying to figure out what all of this was about. The blonde could feel the eyes of Deb but she continued to stare at the screen. Deb huffed a bit as she took another bite. She hated that she couldn't read Lou at the moment. 

The screen then turned to a screen then turned to a scene at their old apartment. Lou was sitting at a kitchen table that was almost identical to the one they used to have in that apartment. It pans to an angle where it looks like the person shooting the film is sitting across from Lou, like they were supposed to be Deb. Lou looks up and smiles that infectious smile of hers. 

"You know, you and me have a whole lot of history," Lou says into the camera. The camera nods as if it were Deb listening. 

"I'd like to revisit some of that," Lou says as she gets up. The camera follows. Lou looks back at the camera, smiles and then does a small spin. 

"We lived here for 2 years. Just until you finished college. We were young, naive and oh so stupid," the blonde laughed and brushed her hand over the couch. 

"We'd come home after a long night out scamming people and pulling small hustles to pizza and cheap beer. It was nice. It was home," Lou says walks toward the bedroom. There the room is set as if they hadn't moved out. The camera pans the floor which is covered in clothes, pizza boxes, Chinese take-out, beer bottles, cash, and shoes. It then pans up to the bed and it pauses when it reaches a picture frame hanging above the bed. The camera zooms in and it's a list. It's Lou's and Deb's first list to be exact. The list they wrote for their first heist back in the house Deb was staying in currently. The camera then focuses on Lou brushing some of the stuff away so she can lay on the bed. Lou lays down and the person behind the camera does too. It pans from her waist back up to her face. Lou shoves the camera person playfully and blushes. 

"We first said I love you here. Or well I did. You said it after of course, but it was here. At 3 am after that boy tried to hit on you at the club we were running credit cards from. I was a jealous mess, and I had to tell you that before anyone else could," Lou whispers as she strokes the side of the camera as if she were stroking Deb's cheek. 

Suddenly the movie did a jump cut to Central Park and while it did that, Constance brought out a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Deb only noticed because the smell was intoxicating. She finally felt hungry after days of having no appetite at all. This was also because that spaghetti was from Luigi's Italian Restaurant, a place Deb and Lou frequented often. Debbie immediately dug into the food but still kept watching the screen. 

Lou was holding the hand of the person behind the camera. To Deb, it looked like Daphne's hand but she wasn't quite sure. Lou looked over her shoulder and smiled. You could hear the instrumental version of "Everything" by Michael Buble playing in the background. Lou and the camera walked around Central Park. 

"You and I would walk Central Park at God knows what hours. It was peaceful, it was quiet and it was ours. We would play hide and seek, and we'd run through the water fountains during the summer months. We would play in the snow during the winter. Gosh, we have so many memories here," Lou says as she smiles at the camera. Deb can't help but smile between every few bites of spaghetti. Lou was right, they did have so many memories there and it was crazy that they still hadn't managed to venture through all of it. Lou also ate, but she was much more focused on the brunette's reactions and the screen. Even though she had seen it over 100 times, she couldn't get over how well it was put together. She was more than thankful for the girl's help with this, and she prayed that it would work to win Deb back.  

There is a montage of photos of the two women in the park, out in Time Square, out with random strangers at clubs and even a few of them in some suggestive poses. Deb blushes a bit realizing the other women have probably seen this. A few more photos litter the screen of them at Coney Island, the first trip they ever took together for pleasure. They hardly ever did anything for pleasure, mostly all the things they did were cheap, and were to scope out a new heist. Deb's heart flutters as she reminisces about that trip.  

The movie does another jump cut to a scene at their apartment they had right before Debbie and Lou broke up. Debbie's heart began to race and her stomach started doing flips. She wanted to forget that day, but she also wanted to see it from Lou's point of view. Lou was in a plaid shirt, blue jeans and some Timberland boots. Suddenly a dish was thrown to the side and the crash rang throughout the room. Deb inhaled sharply. Then she heard some muttering of words which she assumed was her saying the words she most regretted. 

"I... I wow... " Lou stutters. Lou closes her eyes and inhales deeply. "If you really believe that Ocean then I'm about as good as gone," Lou says and grabs her coat. Deb hears another mutter which was again meant to signal her words back. 

 "Goodbye Deb," Lou whispers and walks out of their apartment.  The camera follows her out of the apartment and Lou walks down the street. An instrumental version of "The Crying Game" by Nicki Minaj starts playing in the background. Tears stream down her face and she does not even try to hide them. She gets down to the corner store on their block and immediately begins to sob. Lou kicks the trashcan and screams into the night. 

"How could you ever say that I don't love you," Lou shouts. "I love you more than anything. God I would give you my last breath if you asked me to. Baby why..." Lou blubbers. The camera follows Lou walking back to the apartment several times and turning away when she gets to the door. 

Debbie looked down and disguised herself wiping away at tears by acting as if she had some sauce on her face. Lou noticed this out of the corner of her eye and bit her lip. She didn't want to hurt Deb with this video but she also wanted her to understand how hurt she was that night and how hard it was for her to walk away. 

The movie then transitions to Lou and Tam sitting at the table in the new loft. They're eating Chinese take out and in they're in their pajamas. Tammy looks over at Lou and tilts her head. Lou takes a bite of food and looks back at Tammy with a puzzled look. 

"Do you still love Deb?" Tammy asks. Lou almost chokes on a piece of chicken when Tammy says those words. Lou swallows her food and then looks at Tammy. 

"I.. " Lou starts to say. A long pause happens before she begins again, "of course Tam, I never stopped loving that woman."

"Even after all the shit she's put you through?" Tammy questions. 

"Even after all the shit Tam. There's no one else for me but her.  She's had me under her spell since the day I laid eyes on her. There is no cure for her infectious charisma either. I have been in love with her since the day I met her. Her aura pulled me in like the moon pulls in the ocean's waves. I am 1000ft out into her ocean, and honestly, I don't think I ever want to go back to shore. While the waves get harsh every once and a while, I know the ocean is calmer than not. And when I'm with her, I'm as calm as ever. She's the only one who's ever been able to do that. I'd be dammed if I were to ever give up on that," Lou says calmly. 

Tammy just smiles at Lou and nods. They eat in silence for a few seconds and then it cuts to a scene where Constance and Lou are in the park. During that entire scene, Debbie silently beamed with happiness and Lou could feel this glow reach her. Lou takes the last bite of her spaghetti and her heart rate starts to go down as she starts to believe this is actually going to work. 

Deb locks her eyes back on the screen and there is Constance looking up Lou as if she has a question. Lou looks down at the small woman and raises her eyebrow. They're in the midst of a staring match as they walk before Lou gives in, "spit it out Constance,"

"Are you and Mom like, ever gonna get it on?" Constance says nonchalantly as she continues walking.

"First of all, excuse me? And second of all, who's mom?" Lou replies a bit too harshly.

"Uhh, Deb is mom, and you know, have sex, birds and the bees, bang, bone, whatever you please," Constance says again with the same tone. Lou stops and the camera does too. It zooms out and captures the two ladies postures and the surrounding park. Lou looks around to make sure no know is near them and then the camera zooms in again so just their upper half is in the shot. 

"I don't think this is a conversation I should be having with you," Lou says. 

"Well, have you at least?" Constance asks as she smirks. 

"If you must know yes, but it hasn't happened in a very long time now stop asking such personal questions," Lou says a bit annoyed. 

"Well, you should get on that. She's been eye-fucking like, all day everyday girlfriend. And like, if you don't jump on that, I'm sure someone else will," Constance replies. 

"You don't think I'm trying to?  Now can we move on?"  Lou whines. Constance just shrugs and the camera watches as the two walk off, before they walk out of sight though you can hear in the distance Constance asking if Lou would prefer to be called Dad or Ma. Though the camera doesn't catch this, Deb can feel the ginormous eye roll Lou just did. 

Deb laughed quietly to herself as she watched this whole scene unfold. She hadn't felt this happy in weeks and a little piece inside of her keeps telling her this isn't real. She fights it though and lets the majority of her believe in Lou's movie. 

The movie then cuts back to the loft where Nine Ball is on her computer and Lou is staring off up toward their bedroom. Nine Ball looks up from her computer and raises her eyebrow. 

"You gonna hit that?" Nine Ball asks.

"Oh my god, not you too," Lou groans softly. Nine Ball just smirks and goes back to working on her computer. 

The movie then slides into a new scene where Lou is at the Met. The camera follows behind Lou who is browsing the art pieces on the wall. It then follows her into the jewelry room where the Crown Jewels are on display. The Met still hasn't realized the jewels are fake. The camera catches a small smirk that forms on Lou's face. It pans around her and is now in front of Lou. She walks slowly with her hand on the railing. 

"This is it, baby, this is everything we will ever need to start our forever," Lou says as she looks at the jewels. "We can finally have our California." Lou then looks at the camera. Suddenly the background changes from the Met to a white room. The camera zooms out to where you can see Lou standing facing the hospital exit doors. In the background, you can see Amita and Constance standing behind Lou. Deb can hear muffled voices and soft hospital noises. The women are waving at her trying to get her attention but all Lou is doing is staring dead at the camera with no expression on her face. Her eyes are wide as if she had seen a ghost and her mouth is slightly open. Suddenly all noise stops and Amita and Constance freeze. Lou steps forward and then looks down for a quick moment before looking back at the camera. 

"Deb, this is what I should've said. I should have said, I want a kid with you too Deb. I want a bunch, well maybe not a bunch but a handful at least. I don't know if you'd be up to it anymore, but I remember you mentioning wanting to carry our kids if we ever had any back when we were younger. I mean, if you don't want to anymore we can always get a surrogate. We have all the money in the world. Then I would have asked you if you wanted to do artificial insemination, or if you wanted to try the new stem cell thing where the child could be biologically both of us, or if you wanted to even use my brother's sperm so that the child could still be somewhat biologically related to me. Then I would have asked you when you wanted to start all of this. I would have ran to the book store in the hospital and bought every book on pregnancy I could find. Even though we have a bunch at home, I would have wanted to start right away. And once we got home, I would have started to do all the other things with you that are displayed on these walls. I hope you enjoy," Lou says with conviction. Then the screen cuts black and it starts to move back up into the ceiling. 

Deb had tears in her eyes but quickly wiped them away as the lights began to slowly brighten. Lou looked over at the brunette and stood up slowly. Deb watched her inquisitively. 

"Will you walk with me?" Lou said softly. Debbie nodded and slowly stood up. She braced herself against the chair as she still felt weak. Rusty began to move forward to help her but Lou looked at him and shook her head. She wanted this to be just them. He stopped in his tracks and slowly went back to his post by the door. Lou mouthed "thank you" and then let Deb cling onto her. They slowly made their way over to the first piece that hung by the door. It was their list they made. Deb touched the picture frame gently and bit her lip. She couldn't believe Lou still had it after all this time. They then walked over to a collage full of pictures of them at Coney Island. Deb let out a small laugh when she found the one where Lou was running away from a seagull trying to seal her food. 

As Deb and Lou made their way to the 3rd piece Deb lost her footing and almost fell. Luckily Lou caught her and helped her back to her feet before she got too far.

"Are you okay? I can carry you if you need," Lou whispered with a lot of concern behind her voice. 

"No, I'm okay babe.." Debbie whispered back. Lou held her breath when she heard Deb call her babe. Deb honestly didn't mean to say it but she didn't correct herself. It felt right, especially after the movie she had just watched. 

They walked to the 3rd piece which was a few blueprints of a few houses out in California. Deb studied them carefully. She then saw a list which as titled, "Lou's must have's for her dream home with Deb". It listed a) loft style, b) huge open kitchen, c) double oven, maybe even three, d) ocean view, e) at least 8 rooms for you know, f) a big yard, g) 6 bathrooms, h) stage, f) basement, i) whatever the heck Debbie wants. Debbie smiled as she read this list and laughed when she got to (i). She then put her finger up to the loft Tammy and Lou picked out. It was both their favorites and they thought Deb would enjoy it too. 

"I really like this one Lou," Debbie said softly. 

"I'm glad you do. It's one of my favorites," Lou whispered in Deb's ear. 

They then walked over to another picture frame where the loft Deb had picked out was displayed as a floor plan. It laid out the different rooms and labeled each of them for what they were. Kitchen, dining room, master bath, and etc. It even had each of the other women's names on it attached to a room. Deb rolled her eyes playfully at this. Even though each of them were going to get their own place, they knew their loft was going to be where they stayed the most. 

Then they made their way over to a collage of rooms and how each of them would look internally. The paint schemes, room themes, different types of furniture, and lighting fixtures littered the pictures. Though Deb wanted to change a few things, she thought overall it was very spot on. 

"Tammy did a good job," Deb ginned. 

"That she did," Lou beamed. She was so over the moon about how Debbie was engaging with the pictures and really taking the time to look over everything. Lou was honestly worried Deb would just brush over all of this and not even blink an eye. 

They then came across pictures of dogs of all sorts of breeds. Debbie had always wanted a dog, but her father had never really let her have one. They had dogs but they were never personally hers. They were mainly there to protect the house and look tough. She did though have a special bond with a German Shepard back when she was 9. His name was Apollo and it was fitting because she really did believe the sun came up because of that dog. Once her father realized that they had a bond, he got rid of him. She never forgave her father for that. She brushed her fingers over the picture of the German Shepard who looked a lot like Apollo. Deb then looked over the other breeds but her eyes caught a list of names which listed Apollo as number one. She bit her lip trying to stop the stupid grin that was about to form on her face. She couldn't believe Lou had remembered that story. Debbie had only told that story once and it was when they were really drunk and they stumbled upon a dog on their way home from the bar. 

The women had almost made their way around the room before reaching the last 3 photos that remained in the gallery. The last 3 were bigger than the rest of them and the last one was covered by a red velvet curtain. Lou and Deb walked to the 1st in the series of the last art pieces. In it was a collage full of themes for a nursery. There must have been over 30 different themes that were crammed in there and they were all color coordinated with the rainbow. All the red themes were with each other and all the orange and so on and so forth. Deb took the most time looking at this piece more than any other. Her breathing became shallow as she looked over all of them. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She honestly couldn't believe this whole exhibit. Her heart was completely taken over with the feeling of warmth, safety and most importantly love.

Once Deb was finished the two made their way over to another large piece. It was littered with over 100 names scattered around what looked like a giant yellow notepad paper. A few names jumped out at Deb immediately. Danielle Eleanor Ocean. Darcy Ryan Ocean. Liam Harold Ocean. Louis Cameron Ocean. Armani Toussaint Ocean. Debbie's bite on her lip couldn't contain her smile after reading that last name. 

"Really? After that necklace?" Deb giggled. Lou's face immediately lit up after hearing Deb giggle. She hadn't heard that since they were kids and she immediately knew after that, she had broken all of Deb's walls. 

"Well I thought we should dedicate something to the thing that brought us back together and made our dreams finally come true. So why not a kid? Something that may have never been possible without the Toussaint," Lou said as she shrugged happily. Debbie faced Lou and smiled at her. They both looked into each other's eyes and for the first time in weeks, they were both genuinely happy. If love was visible, it would be circling them like the leaves that circled Pocahontas and John Smith during the song "Colors of the Wind" in the Disney version of the movie "Pocahontas".  

"I have one last thing to show you," Lou said as she took her lover's hands in hers. The brunette nodded and walked side by side with the blonde. They stopped in front of the covered piece. Lou let go of Deb's hands and then waived off to the side signaling Daphne to pull the red velvet curtain away. Suddenly a giant picture frame with the words, "I once thought I was just another fish, lost in the ocean. I soon realized that the ocean wasn't my enemy, but a friend. Something that anchored me down yet helped me float. Something that let me be free on the shore, but never let me get too far without pulling me back in with the tide. And something that made me feel at home, no matter how choppy the waters got. There is nowhere I'd rather be than in your Ocean. So, Deborah Ocean, will you marry me?" Deb gasped and covered her mouth. She looked over at Lou who was on one knee, with a black box opened in her hand. In the box was a giant sapphire stone with diamond and aquamarines embedded all around the silver band. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOES SHE SAY YES??? We will find out soon. I hope you enjoyed the Debbie and Lou Gallery. It was another long ride, I'm so sorry. But also I'm not, I wanted to be as detailed as I could. I probably could have described things better but I never proof read as many of you can tell. I'll do my best to clean this up though later. I also wanted to have Danielle's middle name be Debbie's but I can't find it anywhere, if someone could let me know down below I'll change it! Anywho, thanks so much for reading and going on this crazy ride with me. I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Xoxo


	10. The Word That Can Change The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Deb's answer make Lou the happiest woman on Earth or will there be heartbreak for these two?

Deb just stared at the blonde for what seemed like hours. Lou was getting extremely anxious but she didn't let it show. Deb uncovered her mouth and composed herself. She stepped back and looked up at the picture one more time. Her nervous tick kicked in and she was practically gnawing on her lip. Lou's heart started breaking as soon as she saw the brunette's demeanor shift. She wasn't sure if she could handle the N word. Her stomach started to do flips and tears were ready to start pouring down her face. A million scenarios started playing in the blonde's head. She started to doubt herself and doubt everything she knew about Deb. She had read Deb as enjoying this whole thing. Was she wrong? Had she been so blinded by her own hopes and dreams that she didn't see how pained Deb was? Lou held her breath but still stayed in her position waiting for the stoic woman to make a move. 

Deb picked up Lou and embraced her in the most desperate of hugs. Lou was taken back by this but still had her defenses up just in case. Deb held onto Lou and began to sob. Lou choked back tears fearing the absolute worst. Lou's heart sank deeper into her stomach as she held the woman. How could she have been so stupid? Why in the world did she think Daphne was right about this? 

The brunette didn't know why she was crying so hard. She could barely control herself. The tears were a mixture of sadness and absolute joy. She was upset with herself on how their fight had unfolded all those years ago. She convinced herself that because Lou had actually left that Lou didn't love her. She couldn't believe the last hour was real. It was like a fairy tale had just unfolded and she was the princess and Lou was the prince. They had their climatic fight and now they were working toward their happily ever after. 

Deb then pulled back and stroked Lou's arm. She looked at her lover with hearts shooting out of her eyes. Lou held her breath as the brunette spoke. 

"Yes Lou Miller, I will marry you," Deb announced proudly. Lou's heart jumped from the bottom of her stomach all the way into her throat. She couldn't get the ring on fast enough. Her hands were shaking and her legs felt weak. All 6 other women plus Tammy's kids came out from the side door and began shrieking in excitement. 

"MY MOM'S ARE GETTING MARRIED!!!!!" Constance yelled and wrapped the two older women up in a giant bear hug. The two women laughed and kissed Constance on the top of her head. Constance let go and the rest expressed their congratulations. Rusty came out from the shadows and clapped silently. He gave Lou the approving nod and smiled at Deb. He was truly happy for them. He had a long way to go to keep Danny's promise but this felt like a step in the right direction. 

As the commotion settled down a bit, Deb looked around the gallery again.

"How did you get an exhibit room in the Met?" Deb asked as she raised her eyebrow. 

"Oh that was easy," Daphne said as she shrugged. "Really it pays to be me."

The women all laughed and Deb took Lou's hand in hers. Deb could feel the ring on her finger but it wasn't a weird feeling. To be honest, Deb felt like she had been missing this weight on her finger this whole time. Like that weight added to her completeness. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening the loft was in full celebration mode. Champagne bottles were scattered all over the kitchen counter along with shots glasses that still had some residue in them. Rose and Daphne were making out in the corner and Constance and Nine Ball were in a very heated game of beer bong. Amita was talking to Deb and Rusty about the ring and explaining the whole story of how Lou picked it out. The sapphire was apart of one of the pieces from the Crown Jewels and Lou had kept one diamond from the Toussaint which she broke into smaller diamonds and made the band. The aquamarines were from a mine in Wyoming. 

Lou and Tammy were standing over by the record player. They were watching everyone else have a good time. Keri was watching a movie with Lucas who was sleeping in his crib and Derek was running after the ping pong balls that were constantly flying all over the place. 

"You did good Lou," Tammy said happily. 

"I couldn't have done it without all of you. Especially you," Lou said as she turned to look at Tammy. Tammy blushed slightly. 

"I mean,  you helped me through the break-up, Claude, and her going to jail. You kept me sane and kept me grounded. Without you, I probably would be a drunkard on the street. I would have lost sight of everything. So I just want to say thank you. And I also want to say thank you for letting me have Deb..." Lou said softly. 

"No need to thank me. I was just doing what friends do," Tammy said. She completely ignored what Lou said about letting her have Deb. She didn't let her have Deb, Deb was long gone the minute she laid eyes on the other blonde. Tammy and Deb were nothing but a high school fling, at least that's what Tammy kept telling herself. It made it hurt less that way. Deb though had true feelings for the brown-eyed blonde, they just were swept away the minute she laid eyes on Lou that night at the bar. 

"Tammy, I do need to thank you. And I do owe you one, whenever you wanna cash that in," Lou said as she hugged Tam and kissed her on the cheek. Tammy as taken back a bit, but she knew it was a friendly gesture the Australian did. 

Deb walked over and Tammy immediately stepped back. Lou rolled her eyes playfully at the other blonde. Lou met the brunette halfway and they made their way upstairs. Tammy breathed a sigh of relief. She was happy for the two but she also felt suffocated by this overwhelming sense of happiness. Everyone was on the wave but her. Even though she had just had a new baby and even found a new love interest, some days she just couldn't see a reason to hop on that wave. 

Derek ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist in a big bear hug. She was startled by this but immediately went into mom mode. She hugged him back and kisses the top of his head. 

"What is it, buddy?" Tammy asked her little boy.

"I'm just so happy Mommy!" Derek said as he looked up at his mom with the biggest of grins. 

"Why are you so happy bubs?" Tammy asked as she stroked his face. He was the oldest of her 3 kids, but he was always going to be her first baby. She was so excited when she found out she was expecting him. This really proved to her that she was on the right track and that everything was going to turn out just fine. When he was born, she made it a point to be the best mom ever. She quit her job and became a stay-at-home mom. Her whole life revolved around him, and it still did, it just also had a few more things to revolve around too. She wasn't expecting to become pregnant again with Keri so soon after Derek was born. They were only 16 months apart, but she also saw this as a sign of good fortune. Keri was a difficult baby though and she wore Tammy to her very core. After that, she decided she didn't want any more kids and 7 years later it was a huge surprise when she found out she was expecting Lucas. 

"I'm happy because we have a home and a new family. A fun family!" Derek said interrupting Tammy's thoughts. "You also seem happier Mommy, and I like it when you're happy Mommy." 

This made Tammy's heart burst. In the first time in a long while, she felt vindicated in her choice to leave their father and stay with Lou and Deb. She was so worried about the kids and how they were going to adjust. Most nights she thought she had made the wrong choice and that the kids were never going to be happy again. She was proven wrong in the most beautiful way. Tammy embraced her child tightly and kissed the top of his head. 

"I'm so happy you're happy bubs. That's all Mommy ever wants you know, you, Keri and Lucas to be happy," Tammy said lovingly. 

"We are happy Mommy. We love our aunties so much!" Derek yelled. Tammy just laughed and hugged her kid tighter. She let go after he noticed one of the balls had gone flying toward the kitchen and he bolted off.  Tammy stood by the record player and finally had a reason to jump on the happiness wave, and tonight, she was going to ride it all night long. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

As the party continued downstairs the two stars of the evening slipped off to their room for some time alone. The minute the brunette shut their door the blonde had pinned her up against it and they began to make out. Their moves were quick, desperate and heavy. They hadn't felt each other in weeks, which is the longest they've been away from each other since the heist. Lou threw Deb onto the bed and began to take off her own clothes. Deb's eyes filled with lust as she bit on her lip. She loved watching the blonde undress. Even though she had seen it a thousand times, she couldn't get over how sexy it was or how beautiful Lou's body was. Once Lou had taken off her jacket and shirt, she pounced on Deb and ripped off her button up. Buttons went flying in every which direction. Lou kissed Deb passionately as they maneuvered around trying to get Deb's shirt and bra off. Once they were off and thrown to the side, Lou began to kiss down Debbie's jawline, neck and then to her chest. The blonde left dark red marks with her mouth and the brunette filled the room with soft yet clear moans. 

Lou made her way to Deb's nipples, she took one in her mouth and one in between her fingers. Deb arched her back and let out a loud moan. She didn't care if anyone heard. She was going to fully enjoy this moment, the night, this whole week. She was engaged to the smartest, most beautiful and amazing woman to ever walk to Earth. 

Lou noticed this shift in Deb and took full advantage of it. She was going to make Deb scream all night like she had done 2 weeks ago. The blonde took her time and made sure Deb was to the point of leaking before she stopped playing with the brunette's nipples. The was one sure way of getting Deb wet. While Deb didn't like her breasts, they liked it when they were played with. Lou always made sure to give them attention even if Deb didn't want it. She knew that Deb was insecure about them, and she didn't ever want Deb to think Lou didn't like them. 

"Please touch me..." Deb whimpered as she felt herself leaking through her underwear. She was dying for Lou's touch somewhere other than her breasts. 

"Hmm someone's getting impatient," Lou teased. 

"I am.. I haven't felt you in weeks. I need you Lou, I need you," Deb pleaded. Lou just smirked and began leaving a trail of kisses down Deb's stomach. She paused at Deb's belly button and began leaving small loving kisses all around it. She again imagined Deb's stomach swollen with their growing child. She couldn't wait to start her family with the woman who was now engaged to. She also couldn't wait to be married. Lou and Deb had never discussed last names, but she figured she'd take Deb's simply because Miller was so unoriginal. 

The blonde began to unbutton Deb's jeans. She slipped them off in one swift move and saw that her lover's underwear as drenched in cum. She smirked and kissed her way back up to her lover's waist. She bit the black lace underwear and dragged them down slowly. Once they were off she immediately spread Deb's legs and began to tongue fuck the brunette. 

"Holy shit Lou!" Deb exclaimed. She wasn't expecting that but she also wasn't about to complain either. She loved the way her lover's tongue felt inside her. She loved her walls being explored and her entrance sucked on. 

Lou licked vigorously and sucked on Deb's entrance. Deb arched her back and her moans filled the room. Lou then slipped her tongue out and began to make figure 8's with her tongue around Deb's clit. Every now and then she'd stop and suck on it. This drove Deb wild and she knew it. It got that pit building in the brunette's stomach but it was a slow build. Constance attention to her clit got her cumming and Lou wasn't ready for that yet. 

"Baby please don't tease anymore.." Deb whispered desperately. 

"Oh I don't think you get to call the shots tonight Ms. Ocean," Lou said tauntingly. She lapped her tongue from Debbie's entrance to the tip of her clit which made Deb cuss loudly. She did this several times and every time she did she could feel Deb getting wetter. 

"Lou please, please fuck me. Let me cum, please," Deb begged. 

"We have all night jailbird, I don't want to end it now," Lou mumbled as she began to suck on Deb's swollen clit. 

"It doesn't have to end... We can go all night. You can have all of me. Just please. Please...daddy.." Deb pleaded. She did though make it a point to say "daddy" very clearly and very innocently. She knew what that word did to Lou and right now she needed to pull out all the stops to get what she needed. 

Lou growled as she heard her favorite pet name roll of Deb's tongue. She couldn't hold out any longer and took off her pants and underwear in one swift move. She reached into her bedside table and pulled out the strap on. She didn't put it on fast enough because Deb had sat up and yanked it on her and then pulled Lou down onto the bed with her and flipped the blonde on her back. She loomed over the blonde and bit her lip as she looked down into Lou's crystal clear blue eyes with so much lust and love. She then slipped herself onto Lou and let out a low deep moan. Lou watched her lover intensely and licked her lips as she heard her moan. Deb began to rock her hips back and forth and Lou pushed her hips up into Deb more. Deb braced herself on Lou's shoulders as she was still weak from the two weeks of barely eating. Lou held onto her and made sure the brunette didn't fall. 

It wasn't long though before Lou could tell her princess was getting tired. She gently flipped them over and began to drill into Deb. 

"Oh fuck Daddy yes! Fuck me hard!" Deb yelled. 

"You like it rough don't you princess? You like it when Daddy pounds into you," Lou said forcefully. 

"Yes daddy, I love it. I love it when you're rough with me. I love it when you take control. I love when my daddy makes it so I can't walk the next day. God I love it. I love my daddy," Deb replied back eagerly. 

"Fuck you're so good for me Deb," Lou bragged. 

"Only for you Daddy," Deb nipped back. 

Lou's movements became sloppy as her own orgasm started to build. The strap on rubbed against clit too every time she moved inside Deb. The blonde didn't stop but instead picked up her pace and pressed her body against Deb's so they could be as close as possible. Deb wrapped her legs and arms around the blonde and they moved in sync. Their lips were entangled, tongues battling a slow war over control, and their breathing matched in every way. They were one human being in this moment. They had finally got over their climatic moment and they were slowly tumbling down into their happy ending. 

"Daddy, I'm close," Deb whispered breathlessly against the blonde's lips. Lou nodded and reached down and made enough room in between them for her to slip her hand to where she could reach Deb's clit. Deb truly couldn't get off without stimulation there. She could cum, but she wouldn't orgasm, not really. Lou rubbed Deb's clit as she moved in and out. 

"Oh fuck Lou, don't stop!" Deb moaned out. 

"I don't plan on it," Lou whispered huskily. Lou continuously hit Deb's g-spot with the strap on as she rubbed Deb's clit. This sent the brunette woman over the edge and she cussed as she let herself go. Her walls convulsed around the strap on. Cum dripped all down the shaft and onto the sheets. 

Lou smirked and kept moving her hips to not only work Deb through her orgasm but to create her own. Her movements became sloppy and her breathing deep and heavy.

"Oh fuck..." Lou said as she herself came. She collapsed lightly onto the brunette and held her close. Deb kissed all over her lover's sweaty neck and left small love marks. She didn't have to try very hard when she wanted to leave a mark, Lou's skin bruised so easily and it was so light that even a small mark was dark red. 

After Lou composed herself she began to kiss on Debbie's neck. Debbie turned her head so her woman could get more access. Lou's tongue left small trails of saliva on Deb's neck. They had no pattern but after each one, she always ended it with a small kiss. 

Deb turned her head and pulled Lou's lips onto hers. Their kiss was slow and soft, like they could do it all night long. Lou's tongue pressed against Deb's lips and once Deb granted Lou access their tongues began that same old battle they've been fighting for years. The heat began to rise back up and their hands began to explore each other as if they were teenagers again. This was the beginning of a long night full of celebration expressed through fucking each other's brains out. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our love birds are on there way to their happily ever after!!! California here they come. Thank you all for sticking it out this far. It means so much to me. I appreciate all the support. I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	11. Options

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tammy has a big decision to make about where her family will end up. The fact that Constance and Nine Ball's decisions ride on hers makes it harder for her to choose. What will she do?

It had been a week since the proposal and everything was running like clockwork. Deb and Lou put an offer on the loft in Santa Monica right by the beach, Amita was all set to move into her Uncle and Aunt's place, and Rose and Daphne had already pretty much moved into the house they bought. Tammy was still deciding on where to land. It didn't exactly help that 2 out of the 8 women's decisions on where to live were based on where she ended up. Constance didn't want to be alone and Nine Ball was going to follow Tammy where ever she was going to go.

One night as Tammy was battling with the decision she found Deb sitting on the stage with manila folders, pictures, blueprints and what looked like lists scattered all over the floor of the stage.

"What are you doing Deb?" Tammy whispered. She was unsure if any of the other women were out in the living space asleep.

"I'm helping you make your decision," Deb replied at a normal volume which told Tammy that no one else was around.

"Um, okay? How exactly are going to do that?" Tammy asked as she made her way over to the stage.

"I'm doing it logically. I am going to show you all the pros and cons of each place and then you're going to make a decision. Of course, your gut feeling has to help you as well but I thought if I could take the emotion out of it and just help you get the facts down, this decision might be a little easier to make," Debbie said as she moved some more pictures around. Everything was in 3 piles. While they weren't neat piles, they all had their purpose and place. Tammy looked over each of the piles which were littered with pictures, notes, ratings of public and private schools, crime stats and job opportunities. There was also a small pile for Constance and Nine Ball which had different options for them in each of the places Deb picked out for Tammy.

"Alright I'm done," Deb said as she put the last picture in one of the piles. She looked over each of them and nodded.

"Why don't you walk me through the options, Deb?" Tammy asked softly. While she wanted Deb to fully explain her process, she also just wanted an excuse to her the brunette talk. There was something about the way Deb talked about a plan of hers. There was so much passion and excitement in her voice. It was like a kid talking about their favorite toy.

"Sure, well the first pile is San Fransisco/Marin area. There's a house right outside the city, in a suburban area.." Debbie began to say. Tammy looked over the house and it was a 2 story, 6 bed 4 1/2 bath house. It has a 2 car garage. It was on a small lot but it had a back yard big enough for the kids and maybe a dog. It was large enough to entertain and it fit all the kids, plus Nine's sister if they decided to live there together and any new addition they may add or even just a guest room.

"It's near 3 public schools and 2 private. 1 is a Christian academy and the other is just a rich private school. Crime is low. There are plenty of places for Nine to open her bar up. There are two places right now for lease. One is in the Marin area, the other in the heart of San Francisco. Constance would be perfectly happy in the SF area. She has YouTube and whatever else kids need nowadays. For you, there are tech jobs in Silicon Valley. New gadgets and gizmos galore," Debbie said. She winked when she added The Little Mermaid quote. That was Tammy's favorite story growing up. She preferred Disney's version to the original once it came out but the story she resonates with is more or less the same. Probably because she saw herself as Ariel. She lived in a very normal home, with loving parents, a brother and a sister. She had around the clock attention and everything she ever needed in life, but she always wanted something more. Not material things, but adventure and excitement and some purpose.

"It looks lovely, what is the next one?" Tammy asks as tidies up the SF pile.

"Well, San Bernadino. While it has a high crime rate and a lot of poverty, you have the opportunity to live out your shipping queen dreams. It has a lot of distribution/shipping warehouses and etc. You'd get to play with all of those toys. Nine could have a decent bar. It'd probably be more of a dive sorta place. Maybe even a trucker stop. She'd probably have to rely more on her hacking business than anything. Constance wouldn't be as happy here but I'm sure she could make the hour trip down to LA for the content or whatever. Kids have options for schools. Many public and I think 1 private school near the house. The house is in the nice area of San Bernadino, by a golf course. 2 stories, 5 beds, and 5 baths. A huge lot and even a pool," Deb explained.

Tammy looked over the schools. She looked at the places Nine could set up. She knew in her heart that even though she would love to work there and have a big lot with a pool, it wasn't a good place for her family, which included Nine, Veronica, and Constance. They wouldn't be as happy there and she would compromise her wishes for all of theirs.

"I think that one is off the table," Tammy said as she put the papers back in the pile.

"Alright, see. It's working," Deb said with a smile. Tammy smiled back and nodded at the brunette.

"Okay, next place is Irvine, California. Many tech companies have their headquarters there. Samsung has their IT and Printing headquarters there which I thought is something you might be interested in," Debbie said as she handed over an application to Tammy. "Nine might have to upscale her bra a bit but I'm also sure they'd think a little dive bar would be "hipster" or whatever kids call cool these days. She could also get a job at any of the video game headquarters too. I think she'd be good at that sort of stuff. It's nestled in Orange County which means money and a low crime rate. Your kids would go to some pretty nice public schools. They'd also have Disneyland like 20 minutes away. Constance wouldn't be far from anything really. Your house is in the Northwood neighborhood which is a gated community. It's a colonial, 5 bed 5 bath, 2 car garage," Deb continued as she handed Tammy the pictures of the house. Tammy gasped a bit. It was beautiful. It has an elegance she had never found in a house before. Sure she loved her old house but it was honestly just too grand. 9 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms for a family of 4. It was unnecessary, but it was she was used to and she married in part to this man, to conform.

"I really like Irvine," Tammy said as she looked over the pictures.

"I figured you would, it has just about everything you need. And I'm sure Nine could venture out into neighboring areas and find a perfect spot for a bar if she really wanted," Deb replied. Tammy nodded.

"Alright, so I guess I'm still torn between San Francisco and Irvine," Tammy sighed. She looked over the two files again. Her heart said Irvine, but she was worried Nine might be happier in San Francisco.

"Why don't you go over them with Nine Ball? Constance does not care. She will find herself a place and things to do no matter where you stick her. Nine Ball is becoming part of your subfamily to this giant one and you should make this decision together," Debbie said as she read Tammy's facial expression. Tammy bit her lip as she realized Deb could see right through her. Though they had never had the formal conversation of "hey I might be dating Nine Ball", Deb kind of already picked up on that.

"Yeah, you're right. I should," Tammy said. She hugged Deb and kissed her on the cheek quickly. She whispered, "thank you" in Deb's ear and grabbed the two folders. She went off into her room which she shared with Nine Ball. Nine was laying on the bed with Lucas fast asleep on her chest. She didn't want to disturb them, they looked so peaceful. Her heart fluttered with admiration. A small image popped into her head of them creating a child together. This scared her, but it also excited her.

Nine Ball looked up and saw Tammy in the doorway. She smiled at her and gently sat up still holding Lucas to her chest.

"Hey babe," Nine whispered.

"Hey you," Tammy replied back. She sat down beside Nine in their bed and laid out the folders.

"What're those?" Nine said puzzled.

"Places I thought we could settle down. I wanted to look them over with you and see where you think our family would fit best," Tammy replied. She leaned over and kissed Nine Ball's cheek. Nine blushed slightly and beamed at the thought of them being a family together.

"Okay. What're our options?" Nine Ball asked.

"Well, there's San Francisco or Irvine. San Francisco has a lot of tech jobs for us. You could open your bar in the Tenderloin area. That would be more your vibe. Veronica and the rest of the kids have some good public and private school options. And this is the house we could all live in. I think it's definitely big enough. Just maybe the yard would be something we're compromising on," Tammy laid out. Nine Ball took the pictures of the house and nodded in approval. She had never had a big crib before. And especially not one as upscale as that. This loft was an improvement from the dingy apartment her and Roni shared. While she didn't really care too much, she understood that some material things really mattered to Tammy despite Tammy wishing they didn't. She was raised with certain standards and it was hard for her to go below them even though her standards were very impractical.

"This could work. I think Roni would enjoy San Francisco. It'd be closer weather wise. I mean at least it has seasons. LA kinda doesn't," Nine Ball shrugged.

"True. Well look Irvine over before you make your decision," Tammy said as she smiled at the younger woman.   
Nine Ball took the Irvine folder and really looked it over. She shifted Lucas a bit as she took her time with the pictures of the house. She smiled as she saw Deb's video game industry suggestion.

"Dang Tam, you've made this decision hard," Nine Ball whined playfully.

"You mean Deb made this hard," Tammy corrected her playfully.

"Okay Deborah made this hard but I think I have an idea of where we'd be the happiest," Nine Ball replied as she kisses the top of the sleeping newborn's head.

"Already? We don't have to decide tonight my love," Tammy whispered.

"You and I both know where we need to be. Despite the other place bein very temptin. It wouldn't be fair to be hella far away from everyone. Irvine is where we'll settle down until the two decide to pull a heist there," Nine Ball replied with a smile. Tammy couldn't believe Nine chose Irvine. It was completely opposite of her vibe. But she didn't really want to argue.

"If you're sure babe, you know I want you happy too," Tammy asked softly.

"Yeah, it's just what's best for us right now. We'll find our vibe once the kids are older," Nine said as she looked down at Lucas. She really started to grow into the idea of being a step-mom to Derek, Keri, and Lucas. She adored them and Roni had always wanted a younger sibling. Now she got 3. Plus she was ready to enter college in 2 years.

"Okay my love," Tammy beamed. She cuddled up next to the tan woman. She loved the feel of her skin against hers. She also loved the way she smelled. Even though she more often smelled a bit like weed, Nine Ball never smoked near the children and was always sober enough to take care of them if something ever happened. Tammy took Lucas and put him in his crib. She replaced Nine's empty arms with her body and Nine held the blonde close. Tammy then looked up at her new found lover and their lips met halfway. Their kiss as soft like a teenager's first kiss. They were still trying to find their rhythm and were unsure of where or how far they could go. Tammy's hands slowly wandered up Nine's tank top. A small moan escaped Nine Ball's mouth as Tammy found her breasts.

"Do you want this?" Nine Ball whispered against Tammy's soft lips.

"Yes," Tammy said confidently. She wanted this, she had wanted it for a while but she was afraid of her own thoughts. Not only had she not had sex in 10 months but she hadn't been with a woman since Deb and she was afraid she'd be awful at it.

"Let's go to my room, I don't want to wake Lucas," Nine Ball whispered between kisses. Tammy nodded and they stumbled like drunk kids trying to get a room before they were all taken. Their hands explored each other's bodies and mouths were tangled together. Tammy closed the door behind her and immediately Nine Ball started taking off her clothes. While they were going fast they were also taking their time. Nine Ball looked over Tammy's bare torso and chest area. She couldn't believe how small Tammy was. She was so thin even after given birth. Nine began to leave small kisses and love marks all over Tammy's chest. Tammy moans loudly as she is so sensitive. Nine Ball smirks against Tammy's bare breast and begins to lick on her nipple. She doesn't spend a long time there given she's still lactating.

"Oh god Leslie..." Tammy moaned. She gripped the younger woman's dreadlocks and tugged on them slightly. Nine Ball smirked and unbuttoned Tammy's pants and pulled them off along with her underwear in one swift motion. Tam kicked them off and to the side. Nine Ball pushed the blonde up against the door and spread the woman's legs. She got on her knees and began kissing Tammy's thighs. Tammy bit her lip and braced herself against the door.

"Geezus woman you're soaking.." Nine Ball teased. Tammy blushed bright red and tapped Nine Ball on the head lightly.

"Shhhh," Tammy whispered. She was wet and she was so attuned to everything Nine Ball did. Her body craved this sort of intimacy. She wasn't used to going this long without sex. While her husband never gave her the Earth-shattering orgasms Deb gave her, he pleased her enough to keep her satisfied.

Nine Ball licked in between Tammy's folds and explored each crevasse slowly. Tammy's legs began to shake as Nine moved her tongue to her clit. A sultry moan escaped her lips as Nine licked her. Nine's tongue flicked Tam's already swollen clit slowly, her lips grazed over Tammy's other set of lips. She took her time with the older woman, she wanted everything to be just right. She wanted to make sure Tammy knew this is what she wanted. She also wanted to treasure the beauty that was standing so open and vulnerable for her. Nine's goal these past couple of weeks had been to make Tammy feel like a goddess again, like she was still sought after, wanted, adored, lusted for, elegant and much much more.

"Oh Leslie you feel so good," Tammy moaned out. She was so weak even as she towered above the younger woman. She hadn't felt this much pleasure since Deb's head was down there all those years ago. This though felt different, felt more mature.

Nine Ball hands ran up and down the blonde's legs. She traced the tip of her finger over patches where goosebumps had risen. The hacker felt accomplished knowing she had this woman of such poise unraveling above her. She slowly slipped a finger inside Tammy and began to make a "come here" motion. Tammy immediately began to make soft "uh uh" noises as she could feel Nine Ball inching closer to her g-spot. Once she hit it a loud groan escaped Tammy's lips and her legs began to feel like jello. Nine Ball made sure to be gentle with Tammy, while it had almost been a month since she gave birth, Nine didn't want to hurt her in any way. Using her free hand, Nine locked Tammy into position to help support her. As she moved her finger inside Tammy, Nine continued to lick and suck at her clit. Cum was pretty much dripping down Nine's hand.

Nine pushed her finger in a little deeper and moved a little faster. The blonde could feel her climax building in the pit of her stomach. Her breath became uneven and labored. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out, or even if she wanted to. She hadn't let herself feel pleasure in a long time, what was the harm in letting go now? She felt safe in Leslie's arms. She felt loved and adored and appreciated in ways she had never felt before.

"You can let go now, I promise, I'm not going anywhere Mama," Nine whispered softly and playfully. Tammy nodded and let herself relax. She could feel every movement Nine made inside her. Her nerve endings on her clit were almost to the point of being so stimulated it hurt. Nine made a last ditch effort to get her partner to cum by relentlessly rubbing on Tammy's g-spot and flicking her clit with her tongue.

"Leslie.. I'm I'm cumming..." Tammy trailed off into a loud moan. She walls contracted around the soft finger inside of her and cum leaked out of her. Tammy's legs began to shake, she wasn't going to be able to stand much longer. Nine Ball gently worked Tammy through her orgasm and then slipped her finger out of her. She helped the blonde over to the bed and laid her down. She laid next to her lover and held her close.

After Tammy caught her breath, she rolled over and began to kiss the woman with the milk chocolate brown skin. Their legs intertwined and their hands began to explore each other again. Tammy was the first to break from their small make out session. She pressed her forehead against Nine's and looked into the eyes that never seemed to stay the same color. She loved how they changed from green to hazel to milk chocolate to smokey quartz.

They laid there until Lucas began to cry. They both got up and went back into their room. They spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company and talking about their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Hope you enjoyed a little Tammy x Nine Ball loving. I figured they should get some screen time too. Daphne and Rose will get their turn eventually. Thank you all for the love and support. I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	12. Giving Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a thanksgiving inspired chapter, it delves into some of the women's pasts and some of the women's presents.  
> Also vague surprise at the very end.

It was the week of Thanksgiving and the giving mood was definitely being felt throughout the loft. Handmade turkeys were hung on the stage and fall colors, candles and decorations made the loft feel warmer than it actually was.

Lucas was almost a month old and he was beginning to make noises. He'd coo and all the women would swoon. He'd babble or gurgle and everyone would babble back. Tammy couldn't thank the other 7 women enough for their help with him. While he was an easy baby, Tammy wasn't as young as she was when she had Derek and Keri. She also had a lot of other emotional baggage she didn't have then too.

Nine Ball made sure she spent time with the older ones too. She loved hanging out with Derek and Keri. She would take them out to Central Park, out for pizza and the occasional treat. She wanted to make sure they weren't forgotten, but she also truly loved them like her own too. Derek and Keri were the only ones who really got away with calling her Leslie. Occasionally they'd let Mom or Momma slip. Nine never minded, she'd just answer it as if they were saying her name. She was just extremely thankful that they took her in so well and adapted to the new change like it was nothing. They just wanted to be loved, and she had more than enough love to go around for them. She was grateful for them and it never ceased to put a smile on her face when they went to her when Tammy said no. They knew she was the fun one, which Tammy didn't mind, it had been like that with their father as well.

"Leslie, mommy said we can't have ice cream for breakfast. is that true?" Derek whined.

"For breakfast? Don't you think we should eat something a little bit more nutritious?" Nine Ball asked.

"But it would be fun! Plus Auntie Constance does it all the time," Derek said as pointed at the young Asian woman. Constance ducked as she had been caught red-handed again eating cookie dough ice cream from the pint.

"Well bud, she's also not getting a very nutritious meal," Nine stressed lightly trying to get a point across to the hidden woman.

"But if she can do it, we should be able to also Momma," Derek whined again.

"How about this, you get ice cream for breakfast if you and Keri can do all your chores for a week with no whining?" Nine suggested.

"That's not fair..." Derek huffed.

"I think it is," Tammy added in. Derek turned around to see his Mommy standing by the kitchen table.

"Alright, but you gotta promise Mommy and Momma.." Derek said.

"We promise buddy," Nine said with a smile. With that, the little boy ran up to his room to tell Keri about the exciting news.

Later that night after dinner, Keri and Derek were drawing at the kitchen table. Nine Ball was with Lucas in the room. Tammy was washing dishes and putting away dinner.

"Mommy, I love Leslie," Keri said out of the blue.

"I'm so glad you do baby girl," Tammy said smiling. She looked over at what Keri was drawing and she saw what looked like Keri, Derek, herself holding Lucas, Leslie, and even Roni. Tammy's heart began to overflow with love. She loved the picture, not just her daughter's drawing but the picture of that being her family and that being what they have forever.

She was extremely thankful that her children were taking to Leslie so well. The night Derek told her he was happy really solidified everything on his end but Keri was quieter when it came to her feelings. This though proved again that she was making the right decision. They really were happy, and Leslie fit into that equation so well. This family was going to work, and Tammy was ready to fully embrace the relationship.

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For Constance, she was giving out metro cards to people she felt were in need. She'd skateboard around and found people. She'd often leave cards by homeless people who were in a particularity bad neighborhood or ones without adequate shelter. She hoped they'd use it to find a safer spot or even get out of New York completely. New York was not a kind place for the homeless population. She knew this far too well. Her parents were both immigrants, her father from China and her mother from Korea. They'd met in New York, but time after time they found themselves without a home. The Asian stereotype of being lawyers and doctors did not run in this family, it honestly doesn't run in the majority of Asian families. Her dad and mom tried to open laundromats, or restaurants or dry cleaning places. They'd do well for a year or so, but sooner or later they'd stumble upon hard times due to her dad's gambling addiction and they'd be out on the street again.

By the time she was 9 she had been homeless 6 times for sometimes 6 months at a time. She finally got fed up living this way and wanted to figure out a way to get herself and her mom out. While she loved her dad, she knew that he'd always drag them down. He had been in and out of rehab and nothing ever seemed to work. It broke her to have to think about this at such a young age. No child should have to be making the decision to leave a family member behind just to better the rest of the family, but here she was on the street in the middle of January, starving and cold.

One morning before school, she found herself in Central Park. She watched this young guy, maybe 16 playing cards. He had some tourist sitting by him and there was money on the table. There was a small crowd around so she snuck up and began to watch.

"Alright, pick a card. Any card my man," the teen said as he fanned out the deck of cards. The tourist picked a card and looked at it.

"Cool cool, do you remember it?" the teen asked. The tourist nodded.

"Alright put it back in the pile and we're gonna play a game," he said. The tourist put the card back in the pile and the teen began to shuffle. He shuffled and shuffled and then picked 3 cards. He showed the tourist the cards and ask, "Is your card in here?"

"Yeah!" the tourist said in disbelief.

"Alright cool, well now that I've found it, let's see if you can find it. 3 card, keep your eye on your card. $20 says you can't find it. You win, you keep your money, I win, I keep your money, deal?" the teen said as he fiddled with the cards.

"Deal," the tourist said. And then the game began. Constance watched the boy with extreme precision. She was gonna find that 5 of diamonds. The teen shuffled them around on the table and kept taunting the tourist. Finally, he stopped and then asked the tourist to point to the right card.

"I choose the middle," the tourist said.

"You sure old man?" the teen mocked.

"Yeah I'm sure," the tourist snapped.

"Hmm sorry man, $20 is mine," the teen smirked and flipped over the middle card. It was a Queen of Spades. The tourist gruffed and got up and left. The crowd followed too as it was getting close to 8 am. Constance stayed behind though and watch the teen pack up his stuff. The boy noticed her and looked at her puzzled.

"You lost kid?" the teenager asked.

"No, I want to learn," Constance said softly.

"Ha, this is no kid game little one. Sorry," the teen scoffed and started to walk away.

"Teach me! Please. I will do whatever. Just please.. I need to get out of here..." Constance trailed off. The teen looked at her and normally wouldn't have given it a second thought. He had plenty of kids ask him this very question. But there was something about this wide-eyed little girl that tugged at his heartstrings. Maybe it was because he saw a bit of himself in her. Maybe it was the way she said: "I need to get out of here". Not too long ago, he had been the small Asian child asking another man to help him get out.

"Alright, but you gotta listen to everything, and I mean everything I say. Do you understand?" the teen said sternly.

"I will," Constance promised.

"Cool, come on kid, lesson one starts today," he said as he patted the young girl on the shoulder. Constance looked up at him with her big brown eyes and smiled at him. He just rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe he was going to taking this bushy-tailed kid under his wing.

"My name is Brandon by the way, yours?" Brandon asked.

"Constance Lum," the young girl replied.

"Stick with just Constance, last names around here get you in trouble," Brandon said. And this kicked off the beginning of Constance. She studied with Brandon every day before school and after. While she didn't want to go to school, Brandon made sure she did. He wanted to make sure she had more than one way out of this big city. While he was already too far down the hole, he believed he had a chance to get this kid out.

Their relationship blossomed over the months. Her family was back on their feet by March but they would be back down by June. Finally, Constance made the heartbreaking decision to leave for good. She didn't want to leave her mother, but she couldn't deal with all the inconsistency. She left her mother a note on the first of July explaining herself, she also promised she'd be back for her mom once she made it.

Now that she had made it, she immediately went searching for her mother. She found her in a small dingy apartment in China town. One like many she had spent her nights in as a child. Her father was on the couch passed out drunk and her mother was at the stove cooking something.

"Mom, I made it," Constance said as she walked into the kitchen. Her mother didn't even turn around when she heard her daughter's voice for the first time in 5 years. Constance stopped at the kitchen table and said it again in Korean. Her mother slowly turned around, her face looked as if it had aged 10 years and she was so much thinner. She wrapped her mother in a hug.

"Please mom, we can go now. We can run away to LA. I made it. You're going to be okay now," Constance whispered. Her mother just sighed. Constance's eyes began to water. Was she too late? Had her father wore her mother down so much she didn't even want to leave anymore?

Constance began to beg her mother, but this conversation was only being played out in one language despite Constance speaking in Korean and English and that language was silence. After what seemed like hours, Constance finally slammed $5,000 on the table and an opened ended plane ticket to LA.

"Take this and help yourself. Get a better apartment, buy some food. Leave him. I don't care! Just take care of yourself. And if you decide to come to your sense, this is where I'll be.." Constance said angrily. The last sentence though felt acidic coming off her tongue and her throat felt clogged. Her mother shoved the money and ticket away and turned back to finish cooking. Constance's heart broke as she saw this. She turned and stormed out of the apartment but before she did, she muttered, "sarang-hamnida".

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Rose and Daphne had been working on a project together to promote the arts in high schools. Like many states, the arts were taking budget cuts left and right for more popular things like sports. Thought without the arts in high schools, many children would be left without an option to peruse their passion or just discover it.

While Daphne had always been a popular girl, she didn't find her love for the stage until high school. She stumbled upon a reading of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream" that the drama production was putting on. She stood by the door and listened. She fell in love with the character Titania. The drama teacher, Mrs. Levi caught Daphne listening in one afternoon and invited her in. The rest was history. She went on to play in every school play after that.

She had lived in a small town in Illinois, her father was a professor and her mother a nurse. She had an older half brother who wasn't around much. Her mom thought he was trouble and once he turned 18 she had asked him to keep away from Daphne. Money wasn't an issue, attention was. Her father spent his nights working late preparing for the next lecture and her mother worked graveyard at the hospital. They both did this though so that Daphne could have everything and anything she ever wanted. But what she so desperately craved was their attention, which they had none left to give at the end of the day. So when she started getting recognition in theater, her whole life changed. She got power hungry, and the attention was something she couldn't ever let go of. She was finally being seen and nothing had ever felt greater. Her parents didn't go to many of her shows, but her brother Jordan went to every one. Though he never stuck around after, he would always leave daffodils for her because that was his name for her. She always felt so comforted when she saw them. Finally, someone who mattered to her showed her that she too mattered.

During her senior year though they were putting on "Les Miserables" and she had been cast as Fantine. She binged and purged for this role and this began the vicious eating disorder she still fought to this day. She never saw herself the same after that role, and because her parents were always so busy, even her nurse mother didn't realize her daughter's problem.

Daphne stood in front of her mirror in nothing but a sports bra and some running shorts. She was barely pushing 110lbs. She hoped to be down to 105lbs by the summer before she went off to college.

"God I'm so fat.." Daphne whispered to herself. She ran her fingers through her hair and sucked in her non-existent stomach fat.

"You're anything but that Dil, you probably got none left," a young man's voice said. She turned around to find Jordan standing in her doorway.

"Jordan!" Daphne squealed and ran to greet her brother with a huge hug.

"Shhhh, Dad and your mom don't know I'm here," Jordan whispered.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited," Daphne beamed. She looked up at her older brother, who looked like a spitting image of her but a man and much more muscular. No one could tell they were half-siblings. They both took strongly after their dad. "Why are you here though bro?" Daphne asked.

"I'm here to see you in that play of yours. Though if you don't eat something, I don't know there will be much to see," Jordan replied with a bit of a teasing tone. Daphne rolled her eyes at him and then went back to staring into the mirror. She didn't see what he did, she saw herself as huge and in order to play Fantine right, she had to look thin. Soon her breathing seemed labored. Like she couldn't get enough air in fast enough to fill her lungs. They needed air but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't breathe. She began to hyperventilate and tears flowed down her cheeks like waterfalls. Her heart began to jump out of her chest and all feeling left her face and fingers.

"Dil, hey you're okay.. you're okay.." Jordan said soothingly. He wrapped up his fragile little sister and rocked her slowly. Daphne didn't move, nor did she really acknowledge Jordan's presence. Her body was trying to run and fight all at the same time. She was caught like a deer in the headlights. Numbness swept over her body.

"Hey focus. Focus on me," Jordan said as he cupped Daphne's face in his hands. Her eyes were empty and heavy, but she finally got them to cooperate and look into her brother's.

"Deep breaths Dil... in and out.. follow me," Jordan said calmly. She nodded with her eyes and they began to breathe together. She'd lose track every once and a while if her eyes started to wander but her brother always brought her back down.

After 30 minutes of just breathing she regained feeling in her face and fingers again. She blushed and looked away.

"I'm sorry..." Daphne whispered.

"Don't be sorry Daffodil," Jordan said reassuringly. She nodded and laid in his arms. Normally she would have argued but she had no energy after her panic attack.

When she moved to New York to go to NYADA, that problem followed her there. She did not enjoy the college life as much as her friends had who went to "normal" college's. Instead of throwing up because of too much alcohol, she was throwing up the meal plan she had eaten only 3 hours before. She'd have panic attacks almost daily, but this time she didn't have her big brother to save her. Despite all this, she was a phenomenal actress and she loved what she did. Her parents did their best to go to all her shows, but she had lost the desire for their attention. She now craved the world's attention. Once she got her first major break in a small TV show, she never looked back. Being invited to host the Met was one of her biggest achievements. She thought she would feel completely after it but she didn't. When she noticed the other women during the heist she craved a specific sort of attention again. So she grabbed onto it and hasn't let it go since. In this, she found Rose who also helped with her self image and can talk her down from a panic attack.

While acting gave her some scars that she may never be able to erase, it also gave her purpose and she wanted every child who was even remotely interested in drama and acting to have that opportunity. She and Rose set up the Daffodil Rose Scholarship which helped high school seniors trying to get into art colleges and they regularly donated to school's drama programs. Rose even helped by guest speaking to high school and college students who were interested in costume design or even just fashion.

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Amita was working with girls in her little community. While they no longer lived in India, the values and customs still grasped them all tightly. This was not a bad thing, but some of the ideas about women still carried over and Amita really wanted to try and fix that situation. Her mother was always on her about getting married and having kids. While Amita wanted this one day, she saw no rush and she saw no reason for parents to push children, especially young girls toward this behavior. She wanted the girls in her community to know they had a choice. If marriage and children were what they wanted, then they could have that, but if it wasn't, they had other options too. They could go to school and become a teacher, a doctor or a therapist. They could also run a jewelry store or a fabric store or have their own bakery or restaurant. They could be an astronaut or a mechanic.

Her mother disproved of this new movement, but it was being adopted widely by the young teens of the community. They had grown up in America with the American dream of becoming anything they wanted and more often than not their families had other ideas for them. While not all of them tried to push their daughter one way or another, a lot still struggled with this. Amita went to schools and set up workshops at the market.

"Amita, you are corrupting these girls," her mother said as she passed her stand.

"No mother, I'm helping them," Amita replied back quickly.

"Their mothers are not happy with you. Can't you be like your sister and just do what you're supposed to do?" her mother whined.

"No mother, I cannot. I am tired of you telling me to be like my sister. My sister chose her path and I am choosing mine. There is more to life than pleasing a man. We are our own being and have our own lives. We deserve to have a choice on what we want to do with that life. If these girls wanted to be young brides and mothers, then they can do that. I am not telling them to do anything. But they deserve to know there is more to life than that. There is more to life than a prearranged marriage and 5 children before the age of 25. We are in America for a reason, we are here because you and all those other parents decided to pursue better lives. I am only continuing that. I am helping them pursue better lives," Amita snapped back. Her hands had clenched into fists and her heart was beating rapidly. This was one of the first times she had ever stood up to her mother, and unlucky for her, it was in public too, which was mortifying on many levels. Her mother just bit her lip and shook her head.

"Didn't you have aspirations and dreams before you met Dad? Our dreams shouldn't be taken because we get married, they should be celebrated. I would rather be alone with my dreams, than with someone without any," Amita continued.

"Of course I had dreams Amita, but sometimes we must sacrifice them for the greater good," her mother whispered.

"Maybe you did, and I'm sorry for that. But I won't and I won't let that cycle take a hold of a young girl who has a choice," Amita said softly. The older women were all staring at Amita's mother, wondering if she was going to say something back or scorn her for talking back, but her mother never did. She just walked away silently. Most of the younger girls who were listening couldn't help but smile, for Amita had taken the words right out of their mouths. Amita looked around her and immediately all the older women went back to their shopping.

"Thank you, miss. We appreciate what you're doing for us," a young girl whispered. Amita turned to find a small congregation of young girls huddled together. She smiled at them and began to talk to them about their future. She felt proud of herself and felt passionate about what she was doing. She was going to continue this as long as it was necessary. Even if she only helped one girl, she felt like it was worth her time and effort.

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It was Thanksgiving and everyone except Tammy and Amita were huddled around the TV watching the football game. This Thanksgiving was going to be one to remember for many reasons and one of those reasons was an unexpected visitor from the past knocking on the door right before dinner was about to be served.

*knock knock*

"I got it!" Lou said loudly. She wriggled out of Debbie's arms and out of the love seat they were sharing. She walked to the loft door and looked through the peephole. She gasped and opened the door quickly.

"Hey stranger," an older man's voice said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed getting a look into Constance's and Daphne's past as well as looking at Amita and Tammy and Nine Ball's present. I know this was a long one and I semi apologize. I really wanted to be as detailed as possible yet still leave some lose ends that I could explain later on. I really want to get into Constance's past with Brandon. Also, who is this mystery man??? We shall find out in the next chapter. Again thank you all for reading this story, it would be nothing without you. I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this!! 
> 
> xoxo


	13. Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Thanksgiving and the universe has decided to give the women an unexpected visitor. Who is he and what does he have to say?

It was Thanksgiving and all the women plus the kids were surround the TV except Tammy and Amita. The two women were whipping up the most delicious feast the women could create. There was an 18lb turkey in one of the ovens and green beans and sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top in the other. The potatoes for the mashed potatoes were on the stove still boiling along with gravy and fresh corn. The stuffing was already set out along with some croissants. Dinner rolls were going to be the last thing the women put in the oven just to warm up. The pumpkin and apple pie had been made the day before and ice cream was waiting in the freezer. Nine Ball helped with the green beans and the sweet potatoes. She had been wanting to learn how to cook something other than ramen and scrambled eggs. She figured it'd only be fair for her to learn something and help out around the house especially with 4 growing bodies to feed. 

"Dinner is almost ready guys. The turkey needs 10 more minutes in the oven and the veggies just need 5," Tammy hollered from the kitchen. The only reaction she got from the group was a few thumbs up. She rolled her eyes and went back to cooking. 

"It's football, it's stupid..." Tammy muttered. The group had been watching football all day and of course, there were bets being placed left and right. The Chicago Bears played the Detroit Lions at 12:30 pm and the Bears won 31-14. Debbie swooped everyone's money on that game. While most of the women were not into sports, they were always game for a bet. Daphne and Rose based their bet on the fact that they liked the baby blue colors of the Lions better than the navy and orange combo that the Bears had. Constance just went with Deb and Lou always had to bet against whatever Deb did. Right now the Washington Red Skins were playing the Dallas Cowboys and the score was 7-7. 

"Honey, why can't I ever bet with you?" Lou whispered as placed small kisses on Deb's neck. Lou Debbie shifted closer to Lou which was hard to do because they were already crammed in the love seat. Lou was sitting facing toward the TV with the direction of the chair and Deb was curled up on her lap facing the kitchen but her head was turned toward the TV. Deb's arms were locked around Lou and her legs were curled up near both of their chests. Lou didn't mind Deb sitting on her, she truly preferred it this way because she could steal kisses or teasing touches. 

"Because baby, if we bet together none of us win money, if we bet against each other, at least someone wins," Deb replied back with a smile. 

"But if we both win, we win double," Lou whispered as she sucked on Deb's earlobe. Deb let a small moan escape her lips. She bit her lip immediately after and pulled away slightly. She was getting too turned on and she knew Tammy would be furious if they skipped out on dinner to have sex. Lou could sense this and pulled Deb closer. She left small marks on the brunette's neck and slipped her hand under Deb's shirt. Her actions were covered by the giant blanket they were wrapped in. 

"The odds are not in our favor my love," Deb said sharply trying to get Lou to stop teasing. Lou just laughed and reached up under Deb's bra. 

"If you two are going to have sex, please don't do it here," Constance said without taking her eyes off the TV. 

"Children Constance," Nine Ball hissed softly. 

"My bad..." Constance whispered and continued to watch the game. 

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. 

"I got it!" Lou said loudly. She wriggled out from under Deb, slipped out of Debbie's arms, and got out of the love seat they were sharing. Deb pouted as she was left alone in the seat. Lou walked to the loft door and looked through the peep hole. She gasped and opened the door quickly.

 "Hey stranger," an older man's voice said. 

"Hey Linus..." Lou said softly. Linus smiled and then stepped to the side to expose Rusty who was standing behind him. Lou nodded to acknowledge his presence. 

"Can we come in? Rust said Deb's here.." Linus asked. 

"Uhh, can I ask what this is about? There are other people here," Lou said softly as she looked over her shoulder. She gave a quick confused look to Rusty because he knew there were other people here, but all he did was shrug. It was clear he didn't know why Linus was here either. 

"Oh, uhh I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." Linus trailed off as he caught a glimpse of Deb. He had always had a crush on her, but he knew better than to try to get involved with her. After all, she was his boss's baby sister and he had been threatened once before for looking. But he couldn't help but stare now. She had grown into a beautiful woman. His mouth hung open slightly as he stared. 

"Linus." Lou snapped. Rusty slapped the back of his head as he had been caught red-handed. He was lucky that was all he got, if Danny had been there he would have been shot on the spot. 

Linus cleared his throat and continued, "I'm sorry, it's about Danny."

"Excuse you? Why didn't you say something earlier?" Rusty demanded. 

"I wanted to have this discussion with all of you at the same time..." Linus apologized. 

"Well, right now isn't a great time for that conversation, but I'm sure we have enough food for both of you if you want to come in and join us," Lou said only loud enough for Tammy and Amita to here. Tammy raised her eyebrow and Lou shot her a look. Tammy immediately got it and nodded. 

"Uhh if you're sure, I don't want to intrude.." Linus muttered. 

"Yeah it's fine, plus it's freezing out there. Come on," Lou said as she opened the door to let the two men in. Debbie immediately shot up as she saw Linus walk through the door with Rusty. The butterflies surrounded her heart that now sat in the bottom of her stomach. She walked over to them and gave Rusty a hug and then stopped in front of Linus. 

"What are you doing here??" Debbie asked Linus. 

"Hi, it's great to see you too Deborah," Linus replied. Deb just rolled her eyes. She wasn't here to play games with him. She knew this had something to do with Danny and she wanted answers right now. 

"Cut the bullshhh...." Deb stopped herself before she let a cuss word slip. She took a deep breath and proceeded, "I won't ask again Linus."

"Let's talk after dinner, I would hate to ruin this wonderful gathering," Linus replied avoiding the red hot glare Deb was giving him. 

"No now," Deb demanded. Tammy stepped in and gave Deb a pleading look. Deb huffed and walked away. 

"Alright guys, let's eat," Tammy said loudly to get the attention of the other women and her kids. 

The group made their way to the kitchen and they all looked confused by the presence of a new man in their loft. 

"This is Linus, one of my brother's friends..." Deb said softly. 

"Hey," the group of women said collectively. Constance and Rose just nodded to acknowledge him. Linus lowed his head accepting their greeting, knowing they were all very suspicious of him. The group gathered around the table. Deb was at the head and Tammy across from her at the end. Lucas was in his high chair next to her and Keri and Derek sat on both sides of her. Nine sat next to Derek so she could help him with his food and Daphne said next to Keri to do the same. Constance sat next to Nine and Rusty sat next to Constance and Lou sat next to Rusty and next to Deb. Rose sat next to Daphne and Amita sat next to Rose and Linus sat between Amita and Deb. 

"Thank you for such a wonderful dinner Tammy and Amita, it looks and smells delicious," Debbie said as she smiled. 

"You're welcome," Amita said. 

"Our pleasure, plus, it wouldn't be a true Thanksgiving without all the good stuff. Though, I suppose I could have Chinese take-out as long as I had all of you," Tammy said as she looked at the new found family they made. 

"Cheers to that!" Daphne said and raised her glass. The rest of the group raised their glasses except for Linus and they all cheers. The group ate and talked the night away. 

"So we got the place in Santa Monica," Lou said excitedly. 

"Congrats guys!" Amita cheered. 

"Oh like they weren't gonna get it, they have all the money in the world" Daphne rolled her eyes. The rest of the group ignored the snarky comment. Linus tilted his head, but he kept his comments to himself. 

"Okay, well Nine and I decided on moving to Irvine," Tammy chimed in. 

"Wow, that's great guys, I have to be honest I didn't see that coming but I'm happy for you!" Rose congratulated the pair. They smiled at her. 

"We're excited!" Keri added. 

"I cannot wait to visit princess," Daphne exclaimed and smiled at the little girl. Keri beamed. 

"I am officially setting up shop in Downtown LA, so if you all need anything, I still got all your jewelry needs," Amita interjected. 

"We'll definitely be by to help showcase Rose's new collection," Daphne bragged. 

"Oooh! I can't wait to see it," Constance expressed. She actually enjoyed Rose's style. While she would never be caught dead in it, she appreciated it.

"Thanks Constance. I hope to see you all at the fashion show," Rose said as she eyed each of the women. They all laughed as the threat was as empty as college kid's fridge.

"I got a pad down in Korea Town. It's a really nice place for filming, close to a lot of cool stuff. So ya'll better be watchin my vids," Constance smirked. 

"Oh we'll be watching," Tammy laughed. The girls had a drinking game going where they'd watch Constance's videos a second time through and pick out stuff to do shots too. Constance, of course, knew this and played on it in some videos more than others. She also regularly joined in.  

"Looks like we're all going places," Lou said proudly. 

"Looks like it," Nine said as she took Tammy's hand in hers under the table. There was an overwhelming sense of calm that blanketed the women. They all had their plans and none of them excluded each other out of it. Their lives were now forever intertwined by the heist of the Toussaint and it felt better that way. 

Underneath that cloud of calm, there was a silent battle brewing.  Lou and Linus had a silent battle going on over who could please Deb. While he was over ambitious with Danny and always wanting to please him by going against his wishes and proving his worth that way, he was always shy and timid around Deb. He changed his approach to silently pleasing her by being anything and everything she needed.  He was extremely submissive to the Ocean family and neither of them knew why. Every time Deb would ask for something or mention something, they'd both shoot up to go do it. The rest of the group watched with amusement, Constance and Nine had a bet going on how long Lou would last before she decked the poor dude. Deb was used to it though and never really paid any attention to it. She honestly didn't even know Linus was in love with her. 

"I'm going back for seconds, what anything?" Deb asked as she sat up. 

"Hey no, I got it. What more do you want Deb?" Linus said as he shot up out of his chair almost knocking it over.

"Linus she said she'd get it herself," Lou growled. 

"No, it's really okay, what can I get you? You're tired and I'm an intruder, I should be getting you stuff," Linus said as he smiled at Deb totally ignoring Lou. Lou stood up and gripped the sides of the table.  Constance nudged Nine and did the "pay up" motion with her hand. Lou noticed this and glared at the two women. 

"Uh, I guess I'd like more white meat and some mashed potatoes with gravy. Thanks, Linus," Deb said as she handed him her plate. He took the plate and walked back into the kitchen giving Lou a taunting glare. Lou could feel her blood boiling and her fists clenching the table. She almost felt she had enough strength to break those two pieces off that she held in her hand. Deb was totally oblivious as always and it irked Lou more. Linus came back and handed Deb her plate and Deb nodded to him and he smiled. He watched her closely, too closely for Lou's liking.

Lou cleared her throat to try and shift Linus's attention away from Deb but he wasn't having any of it. She couldn't stand how Deb could just sit there and let him do that. Deb was hers after all. They were engaged. She had a huge fucking ring on to prove it. 

"Hey guys let's go into the living room and watch the rest of the football game," Tammy said trying to cut the tension. Derek and Keri ran back over to the couch and begged Nine Ball and Daphne to sit next to them. The two women obliged. Rose picked up Lucas from his high chair and sat in the love seat. Constance and Amita shared the other couch. Tammy got up to walk away but was stopped when she heard Linus speak.

"No, you stay too. You're in this also Tim-Tam," Linus said hushed. Tammy turned back around. 

"Can we at least go outside? I would rather not have this discussion near my children," Tammy cautioned. Linus shrugged and he slipped off out the sliding doors to the patio furniture.  Rusty followed closely behind. 

"What is this about?" Tammy demanded in a hushed volume. 

"Linus said it was about Danny..." Lou whispered. 

"And I'm involved why?" Tammy sighed. The two women shrugged, but Deb looked down immediately after. A telltale sign she was uncomfortable. Tam's heart sank as she realized none of them knew what was about to happen, but they all knew one thing. Whatever Linus had to say was going to be life-changing. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Linus Caldwell has interjected himself in the complicated fabric of this family. What does he have to say about Danny? Will this ruin the women's plans for a new life in California? We shall find out soon! Thank you so so much for reading. I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this! 
> 
> xoxo


	14. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will what Linus says ruin the 8's plans for California? Is he to be trusted or is there something more going on here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovelies, just a reminder that the 8 * means that there is a flash back.

The three women took a deep breath and walked outside where they found the two men sitting by the fire pit which had a large fire raging in it. They sat together facing the two men. A small outdoor coffee separated them from the men. Deb linked her arm with Lou's and sat extremely close to her. Lou placed her hand on Deb's upper thigh trying to get the message to Linus that Deb was hers. Tammy sat beside Deb with her leg pressed against the brunette's. They all were waiting for whatever Linus had to say, but Linus was perfectly content sitting in silence, hidden by the darkness which masked a devilish smile. His eyes were the only thing lit up by the fire and they were fixated on Deb. 

After a few minutes, Lou finally got fed up at Linus looking at her fiancee like she was a meal and broke the silence. "Well what is it?" Lou snapped. 

Linus cleared his throat and pulled 5 postcards out of his jacket pocket. He placed them on the table one by one.  The first one was from Zion National Park with only Fe + O2 written on it besides Linus's address. The second was a postcard from Vegas with a battery drawn on it. The third was a Harley Davidson postcard from Oklahoma with a drawing of the state California and the fourth was a postcard from Disneyland with a drawing of an unfinished tic tac toe game. Finally, the fifth postcard from a National Park in Texas with a mockingbird on it and a small heart draw on the back and a compass pointing West. 

Each of the intended receivers picked up their perspective postcards. Deb could feel her heart beating on her rib cage trying to escape. Danny was alive. She couldn't believe it. Rusty's heart also pounded but he also could feel steam coming out of his ears. How could Danny pick Linus out of all of them to give the messages too? Tammy had a tornado of emotions swirling in her chest as she traced the drawing of the game with her finger. While she loved Danny and getting a taste of the game again, she wasn't ready to be flung back into it. Lou's heart sank as she saw the drawing of California. She was so afraid this meant she wouldn't get this dream with Deb. They had been so close, but now with Danny back in the picture, she knew Deb would lose sight of the future and focus on the present.

Tammy placed the postcard back on the table and asked: "what does this tell us Linus?"

"Well, he's alive and he needs all us to help him," Linus replied.

"Okay but we have no idea where he is. He's been in 5 different states? How do we even know he needs our help?" Tammy asked again. She wasn't going to get dragged into this unless she had to. She wanted to make sure this wasn't some sort of mistake or just a friendly "hi guys I'm alive".

"Come on Tam, why would he do this if he didn't need help? If he was just checking up, he would have shown up here," Deb snapped.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just take Linus's word for this. I have 4 kids I have to think about," Tammy bit back. She had not realized she had said 4 until Lou gave her a puzzled look. She gave Lou a look and then proceeded, "I love Danny, you know I do Deb, but I can't just throw myself into some wild goose chase."

"Okay but why would he have a reason to lie? Come on Tammy. There are only 3 people in the world who know what that drawing on her postcard means and you and me are sitting right here," Deb begged.

"Thanks guys I'm right here," Linus muttered.

"Shut up. I don't trust you either," Lou growled. Linus glared and then looked at Rusty who shrugged at him in agreement with Lou.

"They have a point Linus. I mean, none of us knew what kind of thing he was working on. I was the last person to see him before he left," Rusty added. He was skeptical about the notes too. He didn't believe, or well, he didn't want to believe Danny would leave it up to Linus. He was Danny's right-hand man, not Linus. 

"Oh come on guys. If I wanted attention that bad I would have just found him myself and brought him to you all so that I could be the hero. Instead, I'm here, asking for your help. I tried to do this on my own, trust me. I've been trying for months.." Linus said but was quickly interrupted by Deb.

"Excuse me months?" Deb asked making sure she heard Linus right, though everyone knew she was just giving him another chance to change that timeline.

"Yes... months, I'm sorry. As I said, I would have found him myself if I could, but this is a 5 man job it seems," Linus lowered his voice. He looked down fearing the infamous smackdown he was about to get from an Ocean.

"I can't believe you!" Deb shot up and leaned toward the small man. Lou stood up and stepped between Deb, the table and Linus. She couldn't believe she was about to defend Linus but she also didn't want to deal with the aftermath.

"You'll never be one of us," Deb hissed. Linus looked down and bit his lip. Those words stung exceptionally hard coming from Deb. As she stormed off Lou followed after her which left Tammy alone with Rusty and Linus. All he ever wanted to was to be part of the Ocean's crew. He had proven himself time and time again with Danny, but even he still was skeptical about the young man. He finally thought this was Danny's way of finally admitting that Linus was part of the crew. And now he had the chance to prove to Deb that he was useful. He had failed on his own, but he could still help them find Danny. 

"What do you want from us? We have nothing but postcards. That's not really a starting point Linus," Tammy sighed.

"I don't know, but I thought you should know," Linus said softly.

"Well, you sure know how to time things bud," Rusty chimed in. He was happy Danny was alive. Actually happy was an understatement, he was overwhelmed with relief and satisfaction. But he knew exactly what Lou was fearing. They had just pulled Deb out, and now she was going to dive head first in and not stop until he was found. 

"What did you want me to do? You saw Deb's reaction. What if I had waited 6 months or even a year? I don't even think Lou could have stopped her from beating me to a pulp or any of you.." Linus snapped. Tammy and Rusty just sighed, they knew he was right. If he had waited longer, all hell would have broken loose. Deb's temper was something that not even Lou had control over 100% of the time. Danny always warned her this would be her downfall if she ever let it go at the wrong time. 

Deb walked down to the water and Lou followed behind from a distance. She wanted to give Deb time to process all of this but she was ready to spring into action if her stoic lover's visage were to crack. Deb stood at the shoreline and looked out toward the moon that was shining over the water. Lou stood within earshot. Deb picked up a rock and hurled it into the water. She was fuming. How could her brother trust Linus like that? Was that even her brother or was Linus just trying to pull something? She couldn't think straight. 

Lou stepped closer feeling her presence was going to be needed in the next few moments. That moment came faster than she anticipated and almost didn't catch Deb when she fell. Deb rarely had panic attacks, but they happened when she felt like she was spiraling out of control. 

********

"Debbie go on, you can do it," Danny encouraged the 7-year-old. The small girl shook her head. She wasn't ready. She and Danny were with the McCafferey's, an Irish mob family, having a play date with Brandon and Niall, both Danny's age. The family had taken them to Broadway for a showing of  "The Nutcracker". Though they weren't actually there for that. Their father needed them to steal a little black book that Mr. McCafferey kept on him at all times. Their father had failed a few times to snag it from him so he wanted to use Deb as she was smaller and had an excuse to get close to him. 

During the play, Danny leaned over and whispered again, "Come on Deb, this is our only chance." The small girl shook her head again. There were too many ways to get caught, too many people in the theater and also it didn't help that she really didn't like the Mouse King. All of a sudden it became too much for Deb. She was losing control of the situation. Her head felt light as she hyperventilated. Her quivering lip caught a taste of her small salty tears. If she hadn't been sitting she would have collapsed. 

"Deb? Are you okay sweetheart?" Mr. McCaffery asked. Deb wanted to scream no and run away, but her body betrayed her by freezing. Mr. McCafferey looked at Danny and Danny shrugged, he had never seen his sister do this before. He honestly couldn't remember the last time she cried beside the day she was born. 

Mr. McCafferey picked up the little girl and carried her out of the theater and into the lobby. He held her close and wiped away her tears. Once Debbie got some control back, she blushed brightly. 

"I'm sorry Mr. McCafferey... I didn't mean to get scared.." Deb whispered. 

"Don't be sorry sweetheart, it's okay," Mr. McCafferey said as he pulled her in for a hug. She reached into his coat pocket but because she didn't have full control of her movements she was sloppy and dropped it back into the pocket. Luckily he didn't notice the weight shift and carried the young girl back into the theater. When she sat back down next to her brother she shook her head. Danny sighed. 

Later that night Danny handed his father who was sitting in his recliner the book. 

"Did Deb complete the task?" his father asked without looking up from his newspaper. 

"Yes father, she did really good," Danny lied. 

"Good, she will come with us to Boston then," his father said and then waived the young boy off. Danny never spoke about what happened to Deb that night. 

********

Lou held the brunette in her arms and gave her the same look Mr. McCafferey had all those years ago. A mixed look of concern, sympathy, and love. The blonde brushed the brunette's hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. The brunette smiled softly and sat up slowly. 

"Can we trust him?" Deb's voice cracked.

"I don't know love, but even though I don't like the man, I don't see a reason why he'd lie..." Lou whispered. She held the brunette close to her and kissed her temple.

"We were so close..." Deb whimpered softly as she placed her head on her stomach. These words took Lou back. While she knew Deb was ready to settle down and begin their new life in California, she had no idea she'd also be torn about this new development. Deb was indeed very torn. She wanted to believe in Linus and she got this chill up her spine as she thought about going to save her big brother. It excited her. But she also was so tired. The heist and being out of prison were really wearing her down. Being out was exhausting, and it was mentally tiring. She never realized how much life took from you, but she finally saw some peace in California. She saw happiness and energy in her new life with Lou, and she wasn't sure she was ready to give that up on something Linus said, even if it was about her brother. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The house was quiet now that all the festivities were done. The kids were asleep in their room and the women were winding down with a movie. Lou and Deb were back on in their love seat sitting as they were before, except Deb's face was hidden as her cheeks were stained with tears.

Lou held the brunette as close to her as physically possible and would plant a kiss on her temple, cheek or jawline every few minutes to reassure her. Once the movie was done the other women started to get up to go to their rooms but were stopped by a small pleading cry, "stay".

They all stopped and turned to look at their stoic leader who now appeared to them very fragile. Deb shook off the blanket and slipped softly out of Lou's grasp. She looked down and whispered, "I need your help again,"

"Yeah, anything Deb," Amita replied softly.

"This isn't for sure, but in order to find out, I want to do it our way. 8 of us, plus maybe Rusty occasionally," Deb said more confidently.

"What's our job boss?" Nine Ball asked.

"We're going to find Danny," Deb declared. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I have a clear idea of where I am going to take this. Be prepared for a long ride, I know it's already been quite a journey already but this is only the beginning. I hope you are all still as interested as you were when you first started reading. Thank you all again for reading. I cannot wait to share this journey/story with you! Have a wonderful night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Xoxo


	15. Bingo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do the girls decide? Will they jump into finding Danny right away or will they wait?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, the 8 * mean a flash back!

It was a week away from Christmas and the group was preparing themselves for a full Christmas celebration. Decorations filled the halls and wreaths hung on every single door. Two massive trees were in the loft, one by the back door and one on the stage. The one on the stage was covered in various ornaments from all the households and lights. The other tree was for the kids, it was covered in handmade ornaments, popcorn strings, lights and littered with presents underneath. Hot cocoa was the drink of choice for everyone and blankets littered the loft. It was a bitch to heat but they made it work. Deb preferred to sleep in the cold, but every once and a while, she'd bury herself so deep in the covers and extra blankets that even Lou had a hard time finding her. Lou wasn't picky about how or where she slept. She could sleep in any situation but she hoarded the blankets here. Deb would let Lou snuggle with her until she knew Lou was out, then she'd slip away from the blonde's long arms. She would get too hot if she let Lou cling to her all night, but she would always find her way back into the woman's arms when her internal alarm rang. 

She was getting better at sleeping in but every once and a while if she slept in she'd wake up with cold sweats. Lou was always attentive to her lover's movements during the night, while she didn't necessarily wake up or move, her body knew whenever Deb would move. If Deb was gone too long, her body would wake her up and if Deb ever woke up too suddenly her body would fling her out of sleep too. Deb was always so confused whenever this would happen. She didn't understand how someone could go into such a deep sleep but wake up the minute something was off with her. Constance and Nine could be screaming at the top of their lungs about a stupid video game at 2 am and Lou would be dead asleep on the couch. But if Deb was asleep with her and Deb got up too quickly, Lou would be up right with her. She felt guilty because she was up so often and sometimes went weeks without good sleep, but Lou never complained. Unfortunately, this week was one of those weeks.

"Help!" Deb screamed in her sleep. Lou sprung out of her sleep and turned over to her lover who was sweating.

"Hey Deb wake up. You're okay. You're okay," Lou reassured the woman as she pulled her into her arms. Deb's eyes shot open as she felt someone holding her. She sighed as she saw the pure fear in Lou's eyes.

"I'm sorry... I'm fine," Deb muttered. She turned away from Lou hiding her embarrassment.

"Deb it's okay.." Lou whispered. She pulled the brunette back into her arms. Deb put up a small fight but didn't really want to win.

"Baby.. you know I don't mind," Lou reassured her. Deb nodded and sighed. Lou began to leave small kisses on her lover's face. Deb melted into the blonde's arms. Lou continued her kisses and then slowly moved them down to her lover's neck. The brunette left out a small moan as she felt Lou's lips lock around her neck. Lou sucked until there was a dark reddish purple mark. Lou smirked as she admired her work.

"Hmm trying to sex me back to sleep?" Debbie asked playfully.

"Not trying, doing," the blonde corrected. Deb just rolled her eyes and let her lover take control. Lou made quick work of her lover. She pulled plaid pajama pants off her baby's long strong legs. She then pulled the silk panties down and spread those strong legs open.

"Hmmm so precious.." Lou trailed off. She licked her lips as her baby was looking as delicious as ever. Deb blushed brightly as she saw her dominant lover lust over her.

"Don't tease now baby," Debbie whispered. Lou just smirked back and slowly leaned down. She inhaled deeply taking in Deb's scent. It was so intoxicating and she couldn't get enough of it. She dipped her tongue in the folds of the muse beneath her.

"Oh baby," Deb moaned. While as much as Lou wanted to take her sweet ass time, she knew she was trying to get Deb back to sleep. The only way to do that was to give Deb a quick yet overwhelming orgasm. Lou began to lick with pace and pressure. She made sure to linger with her licks but go quickly enough to build Deb's orgasm in a timely manner.

"Fuck Lou you're so good," Deb growled. Lou slipped a finger inside Deb once she got her wet enough. She pumped her fingers in and out as she relentlessly went after Deb's swollen clit. Deb's hips betrayed her and began to move on their own. Lou smirked as she felt her lover begin to unravel beneath her.

"Daddy....." Deb dragged out that moan as sexily as she could. moaned out. That word lingered in the air and completely changed the mood. Lou's primal instincts kicked in and she began to become desperate in her movements. She ate her lover as if it were her last meal and rubbed Deb's g-spot without mercy.

"Fuck Daddy. Yes don't stop," Deb praised.

"I don't plan on it princess," Lou growled. She kept her pace up and slipped in another finger spreading Deb out wider. Deb's breath became ragged and her legs began to shake.

"Cum for me princess," Lou demanded.

"I'm close.." Deb whispered. She was closer than she thought and came immediately after she said that. Lou kept going as if she hadn't to make sure she had Deb experiencing the maximum amount of pleasure. Deb moaned and cursed Lou's name. Once Lou was satisfied her lover had had enough she slipped her fingers out and crawled back up Deb's body. She kissed Deb's lips before she laid down beside her. Deb's eyes remained shut after her orgasm. Soon after Lou could hear Deb's breathing change meaning she fell asleep. Lou pulled the covers over her sleeping beauty and held her close.

"Sleep well princess," Lou whispered. She rested her head on Deb's chest and fell back asleep.

\------------------------------------------

Earlier that month the women had begun getting more of their affairs in order for the move. Rose and Daphne had already made the official move, but they visited when they could. Deb decided that their plans weren't going to be changed by this new development and that they could work on it in California too. While she wanted to jump head first, she knew that would only be her downfall. The rest of the women deserved their happy ending, even if she couldn't get one. 

********

"So what does this mean? Are we staying in New York or?" Constance asked. The women all gathered around the coffee table after Deb asked for their help. 

"Ye..." Lou began to say but was cut off sharply by Deb. 

"No, we continue with our plans," Deb said. 

"What?" Lou questioned. She was so confused.

"Look, I know.. I should be throwing myself into this ghost chase and running with any and all leads. But I don't know, something is off and I can't place my finger on what that is yet. And until I figure that out, I don't want to ruin any of your futures... or mine.." Deb said softly. She looked at Lou with sad eyes as she said "or mine". Lou's heart sank into her stomach. While she was extremely happy this didn't ruin her plans with Deb, she also felt guilty. She didn't want to be the reason Deb was silently suffering. 

What Lou didn't know was that sadness also clouded the doubt that Deb would actually get her happy ever after. She was going to make sure Lou was all set up and ready to go. She'd do everything in her power give Lou everything she wanted, but she also would leave Lou in a heartbeat if it meant saving her. Something deep in Deb reminded her of this possibility and it tore her to her core. She knew Lou would never forgive her, but she hoped that if she gave Lou everything she could, it'd be enough to give her a purpose. 

********

Each night, Nine Ball spent at least 2 hours trying to pick up an electronic or paper trail on Danny Ocean, and all of his aliases and any old accomplices. Rusty had given her a list of people Danny could have linked up or reached out to, as well as all the people he or his father could have pissed off. The list was long, but Nine was not leaving any electronic trail left untraveled. 

"Anything yet?" Lou whispered. Nine Ball nearly jumped out of her skin as she didn't hear the blonde sneak up behind her while she was sitting on the couch. 

"No.. sorry," Nine said. 

"No need to be sorry, hell you're doing the brunt of the work right now," Lou said as she sat down beside Nine. She looked at Nine's screen and it was searching different databases for Danny's aliases. 

"Yeah, I guess. So what's the story with Linus?" Nine asked. Lou sighed and bit her lip. She honestly didn't know Linus very well, but when she met him, she knew he was trouble and she knew he had eyes for Deb that lurked dangerously close. 

"Well, I honestly don't know much about him. He was recruited late in Danny's crew for this big heist in Las Vegas. Ever since then, he's been a leach to the Ocean's. He's always trying to prove himself to Danny. I mean it's almost obsessive like. But it's in a very reckless fashion. He'll try and outsmart Danny and go against what Danny says to prove that he's right and that Danny needs him. And he's been right a few times, but still, I think it's mainly luck," Lou explained. 

"I guess it also doesn't help that he's trying to undress Deb with his eyes," Nine smirked. Lou clenched her jaw as she heard those words. God he got under her skin when it came to Deb. He knew she was off limits and she believed that was part of the reason why he lusted after her so much. If he had her, Danny would have to accept him. 

"No. It doesn't help," Lou gritted.

"Does she know?" Nine asked. 

"No, she hasn't figured it out. He's been doing that since I can remember. Ever since he laid eyes on her, he's looked at her like some sort of grand prize. Like she was his to own," Lou growled. Her blood pressure was rising as she thought about him. 

"Well, you have no reason to worry about him. Deb only has eyes for you," Nine reassured. Lou just gave that infamous half smile. She knew Deb would never go for him, but what she didn't know is if Linus would ever pull something on Deb if he was desperate enough. Ever since he showed up in their lives again, she was keeping close tabs on Deb. She couldn't risk something happening to her. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Nine wasn't the only one working late at night trying to find Danny. Tammy was going over the postcards with a fine tooth comb. She picked up the one intended for Rusty and pinned it to a cork-board. Fe + O2 was meant for Rusty, Fe was the elemental symbol for iron and O2 was oxygen. Those two combined equaled rust.

"This is common knowledge, doesn't point to Danny directly.," Tammy said aloud. She then picked up the one intended for Lou. Lou's was the one from Oklahoma, with the Harley Davidson bike and the drawing of California. This was a little harder to prove this wasn't Danny. 

"Lou, despite you being relatively secretive, riding a bike was not something you kept under lock and key.... California wasn't really a secret either love," Tammy continued. She pinned a small map of California near Lou's postcard. Lou professed her love for that state just as often as she talked about a motorbike. Linus was often at the house and would have had the privilege to this information. 

She then picked up Linus's postcard and turned it over. She pinned it to the board and with a key chain, Danny had brought her back from that heist. Linus's postcard was also somewhat personal. Only the people who knew about the heist in Las Vegas would have known that Linus was the one who brought the extra batteries. 

"Let's see... Danny's crew would have known... Lou knows. Deb of course knows. I know. Tess knows and so does Mr. Ocean," Tammy said as she wrote all these names down. She pinned that underneath the key chain. Tammy figured Linus knew that and if he were to plant all this, this would have been the perfect clue to leave for himself.

Tammy bit her lip as she picked up Deb's card. Deb's was even more personal than Lou's and Linus's. Not many people knew Danny's nickname for Deb. 

"Danny called you mockingbird because like mockingbirds, you are extremely intelligent and can imitate just about any accent or person you need to. You were also small and could finesse your way into any situation. One of the reasons I fell for you. You still are so smooth with your words..." Tammy whispered as she traced her finger over the small heart on the back of the postcard. The heart was probably there because Danny loved Deb. He loved her more than he ever expressed and that was one of his greatest regrets. He left her alone with a man who used her every day once he could was able to strike out on his own. 

Tammy inhaled sharply as she picked up her own postcard. Deb was right, only the people who were in that car that day know what that tic tac toe game was all about. 

********

"Are we there yet Daddy?" A 9-year-old Debbie asked.

"No darling, it'll be a few more hours," Mr. Ocean replied. Deb huffed. They'd been on the road for days now. 9 to be exact. Her parents, Danny, and her best friend Tammy were all on a road trip and their final destination was Disneyland.

"Why don't we play a game to pass the time?" Danny asked.

"Sure. What do you wanna play?" Tammy asked as she got out a piece of paper.

"Let's do something easy, tic tac toe?" Danny suggested.

"How old do you think we are Danny? We can do better than that," Deb teased.

"Oh I know, but let's just see. I've never played against Tammy before," Danny replied. Tammy shrugged and drew the 4 lines. She handed Danny the pencil. He smiled. Deb knew that smile all too well. He had something up his sleeve and Tammy was going to fall right into it. He drew a X in the middle. Tammy then drew an O in the bottom middle. Danny drew a X in the top left-hand corner. Tammy immediately blocked him and set herself up to win by putting an O in the bottom right corner. Danny composed his face and acted as if he were stumped. He then drew another X in the bottom left corner blocking Tammy. Tammy gasped as she saw his trick. He had made it so no matter what she did, he could win. Tammy frowned and pushed the paper away.

"No fair Daniel," Tammy huffed. Danny just laughed and left the game out.

"Don't forget this, people can always make something innocent bend to their will," Danny cautioned.

********

Those words rang in Tammy's head. While Danny might be in trouble, there could be something more to this that Linus wasn't telling them.

Deb had cut all communication with him a few days after Thanksgiving. He was pestering the women too much and getting too close to the children. Deb was having none of it. He went peacefully and left the postcards but he warned them he'd be back. Rusty was torn. He wanted to find Danny but he also knew something was off. He promised Deb that he'd keep tabs on Linus.

\-------------------------------------------------

While Amita hadn't known the Ocean family long before Deb got arrested, she saw them as family. Danny had found her store and knew her late brother. He offered to take care of the man who killed him in exchange for a lifetime of jewelry fencing. She obliged and the rest was history. Deb, Lou, and Danny would occasionally run stolen diamonds or other expensive jewels through her store. Amita got close the the two women as time went on.

While she couldn't help like Tammy or Nine, she had her eyes out in the jewelry world. She knew the kind of stuff Danny would run and what kind of ruses he'd use.

"Johnny come on. You know that was stolen," Amita whispered into the phone. She was outside talking to her a close friend of her late brother's. He had a shop in Las Vegas and he had just gotten a big piece tanzanite. Danny only dealt with blue stones. It probably had something to do with the fact his last name was Ocean but Amita never questioned it.

"When was this sold to you Johnny?" Amita pried.

"Oh come on. Help me out this once. What was his name?" Amita whined. She had a gut feeling this was Danny, but she needed proof.

Amita came inside and walked over to Nine who was asleep on the couch.

"Hey wake up," Amita whispered and she tapped the sleeping woman. Nine Ball started awake and almost decked Amita.

"Woah it's me Nine," Amita said softly. She put her hands up and stepped back. Nine Ball sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Nine Ball whispered.

"You okay love?" Amita asked.

"Yeah, just somehow looking into this has me more paranoid than usual. Linus gave me the creeps," Nine said as she woke up her computer.

"I know, he all gave us the creeps," Amita shuttered.

"Whatcha got for me girl?" Nine Ball asked.

"A name, it might be Danny. A gem was just sold to an old friend of mine 2 days ago. It smells like his old ruse," Amita explained.

"Name Amita?" Nine asked.

"Ryan Shore," Amita said. Nine typed the name in and that name popped up one the list.

"Bingo," Nine said as that name blinked on her screen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> California is still in their plans! Deb is willing to do anything to make sure these women do not end up like Danny or herself. She will make sure they will get their happily after, but internally she doubts if she'll get her own. Thank you all for riding this out with me! I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this!! 
> 
> Xoxo


	16. Christmas Eve Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Eve! How will each of the women spend it? There are only 3 months left until their big move to California. Some futures are being planned while some are being altered.

It was Christmas Eve and the holiday spirit swept through the house like the smell of all the sugar cookies that were baking nonstop. 

Daphne, Amita, Nine, Daphne, and the kids were on decorating duty. They spent most of the morning baking and then the afternoon creating cookies. They made a few batches for each of the kid's classes, a few for themselves, a batch for Santa, and a few for their church and community back at their old house. Despite losing contact with their father, Tammy wanted them to be as involved in their old community as much as possible until they left. She explained to them what was happening and why they were going. They didn't seem too upset by this new development, to be honest, they were extremely excited to be moving. Though the question of their father came up every once and a while. Derek was having the hardest time. Tammy did her best to explain what happened. 

"Where's Daddy, Mommy?" Derek asked while making decorating some gingerbread men. 

"He's at our old house darling," Tammy said softly. 

"Why isn't he here?" Derek asked. 

"Well baby boy, Mommy, and Daddy used to be very in love. But one day, Daddy made a very big mistake. And while I always say that we should try and forgive people who make mistakes, this one Mommy couldn't forgive Daddy for. It was too big and too hurtful," Tammy calmly explained. 

"Why did Daddy hurt you, Mommy?" Keri puzzled. 

"I don't know hunny, I guess Daddy just wasn't in love with me anymore and instead of telling me, he decided to show it. Actions can hurt more than words sometimes," Tammy whispered. She really didn't want to be having this conversation in front of Daphne or Amita but they understood and kept to themselves by entertaining Lucas. 

"So is Leslie going to be our new Daddy?" Keri asked excitedly. 

"Oh umm..." Tammy paused. She really had no answer to this. I mean, they were an item but they still hadn't put a label on it. While they called Leslie mom every once and a while, it was mostly harmless. They sometimes let it slip with the other women too. 

"Kinda, but not really. I'll be like a bonus mom. I'll always be here for you. I will always be in your corner rooting and cheering for you. I love you 3 like you are my own children and I love your Mommy like your Daddy once did. I want to be a part of your lives forever if you'll let me. I would like to explore the option of bringing another sibling to you, Keri and Lucas. I really want to grow old and wrinkly with your Mommy. And during all of that time, I promise I won't ever hurt your mommy," Nine replied. She smiled down at the kids and kissed the top of Keri's head. Tammy looked at Nine with such admiration. She really wasn't sure if Leslie was up for helping her raise the children like they were her own but this confirmed it. 

"Oh okay!" Derek smiled. The rest of the afternoon was quiet. Tammy took the kids to their grandparent's house to visit with them and their father. He was due to drop them off later that evening. 

Amita and Daphne offered to clean up the kitchen, so Tammy and Nine had a chance to escape into their room. Tammy got undressed and prepared a bubble bath. She was exhausted from being super mom. She had wrapped so many presents not only for her children but for the other women as well. She apparently was the master wrapper of gifts and ended up doing most of the wrapping. Though Nine made sure she didn't wrap any of her own gifts by mistake. She sank into the bubbles and let out a sigh. Nine came into the bathroom and tilted her head as if she were to ask if she could join. Tammy nodded and Nine slipped in once her clothes were off. She sat at the far end and Tammy slipped in between her legs and laid her back against Nine's chest. The bubbles settled around them and the scent of lavender filled the room. There was a long moment of silence, not an awkward one, but a calm one. One that needed to be left alone to just absorb the smells, take a deep breath and relish in the overwhelming feeling of togetherness. 

"So.. is that all true what you said to them... you want to grow old and wrinkly with me," Tammy whispered teasingly which broke the silence. Nine wrapped her arms around the blonde and began to kiss her neck. 

"Of course babe. I want this. I want us. I want to be your girlfriend or whatever," Nine whispered between kisses. 

"You don't have to you know. They're my responsibility and I know they can be a huge handful and adding another one would be even more..." Tammy started to say but was interrupted by a wandering hand slipping in between her thighs. She let out a small moan as she felt Nine spread her other set of lips open. 

"Baby, I want this. I want to be their mom too. If I didn't I wouldn't have started to go after you in the first place. But I do. I want to be a part of your lives more than just an auntie. I want to grow old with you and yeah, I think maybe you and I could explore the option of havin another kid. I love em, and I love you.." Nine stated confidently. She was sure of her words. She did love them. She loved them like they were her own. They slipped their way through her tough exterior and latched onto her heart. Her love for them grew stronger the moment she laid eyes on Lucas. She was madly in love with Tammy too. They fit together perfectly. 

"I love you too Leslie," Tammy whispered. Nine began to rub Tammy's clit slowly as she left small marks on the blonde woman's shoulders. Tammy moaned softly and sighed happily. She hadn't felt this relaxed in weeks and she was going to enjoy every single moment of it. 

"Hmm you're so good at this," Tammy moaned. Nine just smiled and continued to pleasure her lover. While one hand pleasured the blonde, the other explored her body. She caressed Tammy's sides and followed every curve and dip in her body. She took her time, exploring all of Tammy, making sure each part of her body felt loved. She made small marks all over Tammy's neck and shoulders and then made larger ones as she moved down her back. Tammy's senses were on overdrive as they could feel the love flowing from Nine's hands and lips into her body. 

"Oh baby..." Tammy gasped as she felt Nine slip into her core. Nine again took her time feeling the older woman out. If Nine could stop time, she would, and stay in this moment forever. All their problems melted away. There was no Danny to seek out, there were no children to take care of, there was no move that loomed over their heads, and there was no time crush pressuring them to move faster. 

Water sloshed around as Nine began to move her finger in and out of Tammy. Each time she went in she hit Tammy's spot which caused her to moan out. Tammy leaned her head back onto Nine's shoulder and tried her best to muffle her moans into Nine. 

"The kids aren't here," Nine whispered as she moved her finger faster. Tammy bit her lip and nodded. She knew they weren't but she also didn't want to live through the embarrassment of any of the women finding them or teasing her about how loud she was. 

"Come on mama, be loud for me," Nine teased. Tammy blushed and bit her lip more. Nine slipped another finger in and began to make 'come hither' motions inside Tammy. Tammy couldn't contain her noises any longer and began to moan out loud. 

Water sloshed around more as she felt her climax building inside of her. Her body would twitch every time Nine hit her g-spot. Nine slowed her movements down as she knew the signs that Tammy was getting closer. Tammy whined and began to buck her hips so that she was fucking herself on Nine's fingers. Nine used her free arm to lock the blonde down. 

"Baby please don't tease, I need you," Tammy whined. 

"But I want to do this slow," Nine whispered softly. She wanted this to last as long as possible. She knew the kids were going to be home soon and it was rare that they ever got any alone time. 

"I know, but I need you. I promise, once the kids are asleep you can have me all night. I'll be your first Christmas present you can open.." Tammy begged. She also said the last sentence slowly and teasingly. She knew that dirty talking got Nine's heartbeat up and her primal instincts to show. 

Nine growled as she heard those words slowly roll off Tammy's tongue. She knew exactly what Tammy was trying to do and it worked. It would work every single time too. Nine gave in and picked up her pace. Tammy's smirk turned quickly into an 'O' shape as she left out soft moans. Nine moved her fingers so effortlessly inside of Tammy and Tammy's hips bucked in sync with her movements. While they didn't have sex every night because they didn't have the time or the energy most nights, she always felt a little empty without Nine touching her. Tammy felt full when Nine was inside her, she felt complete.

After what they felt like hours had passed, Nine finally decided to let Tammy cum. She began to rub Tammy's g-spot relentlessly and used her other hand to rub Tammy's nipple. 

"Oh Leslie..." Tammy moaned. The warm mess building in her stomach was rising up. She felt like she could burst at any moment. Tammy's moans were uncontrollable as her climax neared. She was louder than a cheesy porno and while this embarrassed the shit out of her, Nine loved it. Nine pushed her over the edge when she placed her thumb on her clit and began to rub it. 

"Fuck Daddy.. I'm cumming!" Tammy screamed. The wave of pleasure hit her like the high tide against the rocks. Water spilled onto the floor as her body sent shockwaves of pleasure pulsing through her body. Nine did her best to keep Tammy still but it was too much with her having only one free hand. Nine kept working the blonde through her orgasm which seemed to last forever. 

Once it finally subsided, Tammy sighed and curled into Nine. Nine slipped her fingers out of Tammy so she could position herself better. The blonde was completely wiped out. She could have fallen asleep right there if it hadn't been for Nine convincing her that it would be much more comfortable in their own bed. 

"Ugh I don't want to move," Tammy whined. 

"Well I don't want to be a prune, now get up baby," Nine teased. Tammy sighed and slowly got up. Nine slipped out of the tub and grabbed them both a towel. Once they were dried off they both slipped off into their room hoping nobody heard them. 

Their Christmas Eve was one to remember, they had said their 'I love you's and had a plan for the future. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While all that was going on, Rose and Daphne were downstairs cuddling and watching a movie. Their relationship was going steady and their move even smoother. While Daphne didn't like to admit it, she was in complete control of the relationship and Rose didn't mind. Rose's anxiety usually got the best of her and it was nice to have someone who just made all the decisions in that aspect of her life. Though Daphne would never make a decision without consulting Rose first. They were a team, though many people on the outside looking in would never know it. 

Daphne rested her head on Rose's shoulder and whispered, "Do you ever want to get married someday?" 

Rose was a bit thrown off by this question. They really hadn't discussed the future in terms of children, marriage and the horse with the white carriage. They'd plan a few months in advance because of fashion shows and Daphne's new TV show she was directing and producing, but never more. 

"Well, I mean, yeah. I had lost all hope until I found you," Rose said as she smiled. Daphne's heart lit up. 

"Hmm, would you change your name or would I change mine?" Daphne asked excitedly. 

"Well we both have established brands with our own names, my love, I guess professionally one of us could continue on as we are, but personally I wouldn't mind changing my name or adding yours onto mine," Rose confessed. 

"I like that, Rose Kluger-Weil," Daphne beamed. She had always wanted a grand wedding with all the stops. Her dress would be designed by none other than her beautiful fiancee if Rose agreed of course. There would be a large reception and a 4-course dinner served. 

"But I don't want it to be huge..." Rose said interrupting Daphne's dream. 

"Oh, okay. That's understandable. But can we at least make it huge for the small people amount of people we do invite?" Daphne asked.

"Yeah, that seems fair enough," Rose shrugged. While she wanted to be married, she never really liked the idea of a wedding for herself. All that attention made her nervous. Fashion shows were one thing, it was about the clothes and not really herself. A wedding would be about her, and Daphne of course, but they'd be sharing that spotlight equally. She already had enough of a fiasco at the Met, she couldn't even begin to imagine her anxieties at her own wedding. 

Daphne frowned a bit. She knew Rose didn't like attention, but this wasn't about attention. This was about professing their love to each other and making everything official. While they didn't need a silly little paper from the government to officiate their love, a ceremony would allow them to celebrate it with the people they cared about most. 

Daphne knew this next question was going to break her heart but she blurted it out anyway. 

"Would you want children?" Daphne asked. 

"Well darling, I hadn't really thought of it," Rose stammered. She didn't want to say the wrong thing, but she quite honestly was terrified of the idea of her being a parent. She could barely hold herself together, so she had no idea how she'd be able to raise a child. 

"Oh, well I have been thinking for a while. I just, I don't know. With Lucas around and Keri and Derek.. I just, I think maybe one day we could have one of our own," Daphne shrugged. She didn't want to come off too strong with the idea because she didn't want to scare Rose away. But she was desperate for a child. She longed for one the minute Lucas she laid eyes on Lucas, and her heartstrings were tugged further in that direction every time Keri and she did something together. They had a special bond and they always would have, but she also wanted a child of her own. 

"Yeah, maybe one day darling," Rose whispered. 

"Well, are we talking years or like decades here?" Daphne asked a little too quickly. Rose bit her lip and looked down. She wasn't ready yet, but she also knew their time was limited. She couldn't have children anymore and Daphne wasn't getting any younger. 

"I don't know Daphne, I just don't think I'm ready quite yet. It's not you or us I doubt, it's mainly me. I don't know if me and a child are a good combination. I mean I can watch Lucas or Keri or whoever else, but having one that I am solely responsible for for the next 18 years sounds a bit terrifying.." Rose revealed. Daphne never realized how uncomfortable Rose was around the kids. While she wasn't afraid of them, she was always a step behind, making sure she never overstepped her boundaries. 

"But you wouldn't be solely responsible for it. I would be there too. We would be partners. Together raising a child. A beautiful one at that," Daphne said reassuringly. 

"I guess, but even still. You can't be there every single waking moment and I can't ask that of you. I just don't know if I have it in me.." Rose whispered. Daphne's heart sank as her dreams dissipated before her. Everyone around her was either getting married, having children or already on their 10th wedding anniversary. While she didn't need to be like everyone else, Daphne still couldn't help but be jealous of them. Marriage would be enough for her, but a child would complete her. She would be able to be the parent she never had. And maybe there would be one less girl who had to struggle. She turned away quickly to wipe away a few tears, then turned back to her lover and smiled the best fake smile she could muster.

"Okay my love, we will revisit the idea later," Daphne whispered. The spent the rest of the night in silence, just caressing and kissing each other. Daphne didn't want to take it too far as she was still devastated by the new development. Her situation wasn't like Lou's and Debbie's where Rose had just said something stupid while meaning something else. Rose was serious and truly didn't believe she could be a good parent. Something that would take more than a gallery to fix. 

Once they both had gone off into their bed to sleep. Daphne's heart silently broke piece by piece as she sat in the darkness on her and Rose's bed. She could feel her chances of being a parent slipping through her fingers like the sand in an hourglass. This Christmas Eve wasn't one she really cared to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I hope you all like this, while it's necessary it's also sort of fluff. I'm not super sure about this chapter. Thanks so much for all your support! Have a great night/day whenever you're reading this!


	17. Christmas Eve Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is how Christmas Eve played out for our infamous heist couple.

 

Debbie was halfway through her morning routine when she heard footsteps coming toward the bathroom. She wrapped herself up in a towel and rummaged through one of the drawers and found the old shiv she had made earlier that year.  She knew it wasn't Lou because Lou had been at the club all night and had just gotten home an hour ago. 

As she heard the door open,  she braced herself for whoever was about to come through there. She wasn't going down without a fight. She held the shiv close to her and stepped to greet whoever was there. Suddenly someone ran into her legs and she dropped the sharpened toothbrush. 

"Oh darling, are you lost?" Debbie asked the half asleep boy who looked as if he had wet his pjs.

"Mommy I had an accident" Derek whined sleepily. He rubbed his eyes and then realized he was in the wrong room. 

"Oh don't worry Derek, let's get you cleaned up," Deb reassured him. She quickly put on some clothes and then helped him take off his wet pjs. She drew him up a bath and added bubbles. Then she went to grab a few toys from Keri's and his bathroom before lifting the boy up and placing him in the tub. 

"Thank you Aunt Deb," Derek whispered. 

"Of course Bud," Deb smiled. She dipped her hand into the bath to scoop up some bubbles and placed them on the boy's soft brunette hair. Derek just laughed and began to play with his toys. She watched him and played along when it was requested of her. As she played a wheel in the back of her head began to turn. She wanted this. She really wanted to raise children with Lou. She wanted bathtime and bubbles as well as the mess that came with kids. She knew she would miss the constant pitter-patter of small children's feet running throughout the loft. She'd miss the giggles and random hug attacks at all hours of the day and night. She'd miss the long explanations and really weird stories that were made up on the fly. She never really thought children would be in her future, but here she was. Taking care of a child who wasn't hers and wishing it were. 

"Oh there he is," Tammy sighed. She sat down on the side of the tub and kissed the boy's head. "You had Mommy worried Der." Tammy continued. 

"I'm sorry Mommy, I made a mistake, but Aunt Deb helped me fix it," Derek said as he played with his shark. 

"Oh I'm so sorry Deb, you should have woken me. I would've taken care of it," Tammy whispered. 

"It's no problem Mama, it was no trouble at all," Deb said reassuringly. 

"Well, I'll take it from here. I got to get them ready for cookie making before they go off to their father's," Tammy smiled. Though that smile faded as she mentioned their father. 

"How's that going by the way?" Deb asked. 

"It's fine, we agreed that he'd get at least one holiday and or special occasion with them a year and that if he ever were in town he could visit. I made it clear though that we wouldn't be coming to New York very often," Tammy muttered. While it was no secret to the kids that they weren't going to be seeing their dad very often, it was still something she didn't want to talk about too often in front of them. 

"Well if you ever need anything, just let me know, Mama," Deb winked. She got up and kissed Derek's cheek before she exited the bathroom. Before she went downstairs she slipped into Tammy's room and grabbed a few pregnancy books off of the bookshelf. She tucked the books underneath her bathrobe and began to tidy up the living room. She pushed a few more presents under the tree and adjusted some of the ornaments. Once she was satisfied she curled up in her favorite love seat with the coziest blanket she could find. Constance was passed out on the couch as usual. Debbie never really understood why the child actively chose to sleep there instead of her own room which had a perfectly comfortable bed. 

She opened the book and began reading about the process. She knew how babies developed and all that but she was more curious about what physical and psychological changes she would go through. Deb wasn't good with change, but she'd allow herself to transform if that meant she and Lou would be able to have a child together. She slowly got up out of her seat and found her laptop Nine had bought her. While she was tech savvy in some ways, she was a bit behind on the internet craze and just how much it could do. 

It was now 9 and she had finished the first book and was onto the next. Every time any of the other women walked by she'd hide her books and pretend she was watching some videos on Youtube or looking at furniture for her and Lou's new loft. Amita made breakfast and brought a plate over to Deb. 

"Merry Christmas Eve Debbie," Amita smiled. Deb looked down at the scrumptious plate of pancakes with a drizzle of maple syrup and powdered sugar dusted so neatly on top. On the side were strawberries that were cut like Christmas trees. 

"Thank you Amita. Merry Christmas Eve to you too," Deb grinned. She took a break from the computer to eat the food that still had steam coming off of it. She took a big bite and moaned softly to herself. This was the first Christmas Eve that she had spent outside of prison in 6 years and she was going to enjoy every single minute of it. 

Throughout the morning and into the afternoon the children would bring Deb cookies they had made or would offer her frosting to try. 

"You guys are going to get me on a sugar high if you don't stop soon," Deb laughed as she licked another spoonful of frosting. 

"That's the point, Aunt Deb!" Keri squealed. She took the spoon back once Deb finished and ran back into the kitchen. Deb just laughed and watched as the kids baked. She waved to them as they left to go to their father's Christmas dinner. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou was still passed out but woke up as the smell of Ham traveled up from downstairs. She lazily slipped on a pair of black jeans and slipped on one of Debbie's old Christmas sweaters from college. She then grabbed a pair of holiday socks Debbie picked up one night on one of their late-night trips to Target and her Santa hat. She walked downstairs to find all the women and Veronica sitting around at the table immersed in a conversation. 

Deb looked up as she heard her woman's footsteps coming down the stairs. She couldn't help but smile as she saw Lou's outfit. 

"Nice sweater Miller," Tammy teased. Lou flipped Tammy off and smirked. She took her spot next to her brunette and placed a soft kiss on her temple. 

"Hmm you smell nice," Lou whispered. Deb rolled her eyes playfully. 

"Merry Christmas Eve ladies," Tammy cheered. 

"Merry Christmas Eve!" all the women cheered back as they raised their glasses. 

"I haven't had one of these in forever," Constance mumbled into her glass as she chugged her champagne. 

"Me either actually," Daphne added. 

"We all know I haven't either," Deb winked. 

"I have, but they weren't nearly as amazin as this. I finally feel like everyone at the table is actually my fam," Nine commented. 

"Aww has Tammy made our Nine soft?" Constance teased. Tammy blushed and bit her lip to hide her smile. Nine shoved the Asian woman playfully and they both busted out laughing. 

The rest of the night was filled with talk of the future and classic Christmas horror stories. Lou and Deb couldn't keep their hands to themselves all night. They would occasionally sneak teasing touches under the table. Lou jerked away when she felt Deb unbutton her jeans.

"You alright there Miller?" Daphne asked snarkily. She had been watching the two all night wishing her and Rose were doing the same thing.

"Yeah just fine Kluger," Lou playfully snapped back. Daphne just smiled and continued the conversation.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once dinner was finished the ladies all snuck off to their prospective spots. Daphne and Rose took the living room to watch a movie. Tammy and Nine sneaked up into their room. Amita stayed in the kitchen and cleaned. Constance went into her room to do some editing. She had filmed a bit when the kids were cooking, some at dinner, and some at random times during the day. She wanted to capture today not only for her viewers but also for all the people in the video. She got the idea once most people chimed in about not having an actual Christmas Eve in a while. She wanted this to be one they could all remember and look back on if they ever wanted. Their first Christmas Eve as a family. 

Before Daphne and Rose were too into their movie, Deb snuck around and grabbed her books and laptop. She then slipped off into the study and cozied up herself up on the futon. She opened up her computer and began to look up the stem cell research and bone marrow babies. Unfortunately, it was just research and nothing successful had come of it yet. She sighed as her wish to carry a baby with Lou's genes slowly slipped away. Though Lou had mentioned using her brother as the sperm donor, it wouldn't be exact but it would be the closest thing she could get to that as of right now. Another idea popped into her head, she could carry twins. One egg hers and one Lou's. They could share the same sperm donor father. Or Deb's egg could be fertilized with Harold's sperm and Lou's could be fertilized with Danny's. 

"No that's too weird," Debbie said aloud to herself. 

"Hmm what's weird love?" a familiar voice whispered softly in her ear. Debbie almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice. The only thing that kept her from jumping was Lou's hand that was placed firmly on her shoulder.  

"Oh nothing," Deb mumbled softly. 

"Hmm, well you're looking up baby stuff, so I'd say that wasn't just nothing," Lou smiled.

"I guess you caught me.." Deb mumbled. 

"Isn't that a good thing?" Lou teased. She kissed her lover's cheek and took a spot next to Deb. She wrapped the brunette up in her arms and began reading the article that was pulled up on the screen. Deb smiled as she watched her woman's face light up as she read the article.

Lou's smile turned stoic as she came to the same conclusion as Deb after reading the articles. They wouldn't be able to have a child of their own for a few years. Sometimes she wished she was a dude, just for this. Just so that she and Deb could have a little bundle of joy that was theirs. Lou shook her head. She shouldn't be upset. Hell even if the child was an alien, she would still love it more than anything. All she ever wanted was a child with Deb, and if that meant they would have to adopt or chose some random sperm donor, she would. And she would enjoy every waking moment of being a parent with Deb. 

"It's okay to be upset.." Deb whispered. She could sense that her lover felt guilty and shame. "I wanted the same thing, but for now, we'll just go through your brother or another guy.."  

"Of course my love. A child with you is all I ever wanted," Lou smiled back. 

"So, which would you prefer?" Deb asked. She studied the blonde's face to see if she could pick up on any small signals that would give her an answer before the blonde could even speak. She found it when the blue-eyed beauty bit her lip. 

"Do you think Harold would agree?" Deb smiled. Lou shrugged. She hadn't talked to her brother since he told him Deb was out of jail. While Harry liked Deb he blamed her for getting Lou involved in the criminal life. Though he really couldn't complain much as whenever he got himself into trouble Deb was the first one he'd call. He also had been one of the only reasons Lou didn't go crazy while Deb was locked up. He watched his sister go through one of the most difficult times of her life and couldn't do much at all to help. He hated how easily Deb tore Lou down, but he also couldn't deny the fact that Deb was also the only person who could really build Lou back up. 

"He doesn't really like me at the moment, does he?" Deb sighed. Lou bit her lip. 

"Alright, well I guess all we can do is ask, and if it's a no, then we will find another way. No matter what I want to raise a child with you," Deb said hopefully. Lou couldn't help but smile. While she felt guilty her heart shoved it so far away when it was reminded that it would get one of it's most desired dreams. 

"When do you want to start my love?" Lou asked. 

"Once we get to California," Deb nodded. She didn't want to stress of moving to have any effect on the baby. 

"California it is then," Lou said once again. Deb smiled at her lover and cuddled up close to her. She finally felt a bit of calm in all the rush that was going on around them. This was their time, their moment to shine and finally carve a piece of the 'American Dream' out for themselves. They would, or at least Lou would get her happily ever after, no matter what it took. Deb would make sure of that. This was one Christmas Eve she would hold onto forever. The first one out of jail was going to be one to beat. Her new life was all laid out in front of her except for some details that she'd go over and fill in later. But as she looked over at her fiancee who was babbling on about names, she couldn't help but be satisfied with everything she saw before her.  

"You know though, it's never too early to start ourselves.." Deb smirked. Lou bit her lip and moved the computer and books out of the way. Deb leaned in and kissed the blonde slowly yet passionately. Lou kissed back with the same amount of passion. Their kisses were slow, soft and yet they both could feel the electricity flowing through them. Deb's hands wandered and Lou pushed the brunette back gently onto the futon. Deb smirked as she found that Lou's jeans were still unbuttoned from dinner. They spent a good portion of the night making sweet love, showing each other just how much they loved one another and how safe they felt in this new adventure they were about to take on.   

Once they had finished, their baby high was still swirling around in their minds. The rest of the night was spent looking at doctors in California and sperm banks. They also discussed the names in more detail as well as nurseries. The loft was plenty big for their soon to be growing family and the other 6 women. Lou couldn't want to get their lives started. She also finally felt the same calm Deb did, and truly believed she'd be able to get her dream ending with her. While the two had spent previous Christmas Eve's together, this one felt so much different. They weren't struggling or cold or on the run. Instead, they had a family, they were planning to move to their dream destination and they were going to start their own little family. This was one Christmas Eve Lou would never forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with it so far! California is coming quickly and they all cannot wait. I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this 
> 
> Xoxo


	18. White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas day, and the women are spending it together. They have 3 months until they move. Do any of the gifts help that push forward their dream of California?

Debbie rolled over to find her lover curled in a ball in the mass of blankets she hoarded on her side. Deb smiled and began to untangle the mess of blankets and snuggled up close to her sleeping beauty. She stroked Lou's face and watched the blonde's eyes flutter as she dreamed. While Deb could read everything about Lou while she was awake, her biggest mystery was what the woman thought of in her dreams. She'd do anything to have a glimpse of what went on in Lou's subconscious. 

The sound of Keri and Derek screaming about Christmas woke the blonde from her slumber. For a second she thought it might have been Deb, but she was proven otherwise when she found herself eye to eye with the brunette. Deb blushed and looked away. 

"Merry Christmas weirdo," Lou laughed. 

"Merry Christmas dork," Deb playfully replied. It was their first Christmas together in a long time. They had missed out on so much. In their younger years, they would spend Christmas at Deb's parent's house. It was the perfect Christmas that someone might see in a magazine. Mrs. Ocean made sure they got that. It was one of the only days Mr. Ocean, Danny and Deb weren't allowed to work. After Mrs. Ocean passed away, Christmas turned into a huge fiasco. Deb, Tammy, and Tess did their best to cook but it was never good enough by Mr. Ocean and Danny's standards. And once Danny recruited more friends, it became harder to manage. A lot of criminal testosterone in one area did not mix well, even on the "happiest day of the year". Tess, Deb, Tammy, and Lou would usually sneak out and sit on the porch to eat. A lot had changed since then, but one thing remained the same, their love for each other. 

"Wake up Auntie Lou and Aunt Deb! It's present time!!" Derek yelled as he zipped past their room. The two women just laughed and Deb looked into Lou's eyes.

"Soon that'll be our kids," Deb whispered. 

"I cannot wait," Lou beamed. She really couldn't wait. If Deb had wanted to start immediately she would have more than happily agreed. But she understood why it would be stressful to try for a baby while they moved. Especially since Lou was going to be riding her bike all the way there and Deb was going to be taking a van. Lou wouldn't dare want Debbie driving alone while pregnant, and Debbie couldn't handle the stress of knowing Lou was out there by herself on the road. 

They both took their time getting dressed. They wanted to drag this day out as long as they could. Once they were dressed, Deb took a moment to look out their window. The snow was falling softly blanketing the ground and covering the semi-frozen water. It had been a while since she had been able to see snow falling, especially on Christmas morning. 

"Nothing beats a white Christmas," Deb whispered to herself.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Everyone was congregated downstairs in the living room. Keri and Derek were splitting up the presents by name. They, of course, had a mountain stacked taller than they were. Lucas had quite the pile too for only being a little over a month old, but that's just how this family was. Roni didn't make out too bad for herself either. 

"Last one is for you Auntie Deb," Derek said as he handed her the last present under the tree. 

"Thanks bud," Deb smiled. She pulled him in and kissed his cheek before he had a chance to go run back to his pile. He giggled and squirmed but let his aunt love on him some. 

"Alright, the kids can open their presents first," Tammy said. Keri and Derek shredded through the wrapping paper like a woodchipper with trees. Their giggles and squeals filled the room and all the women couldn't help but watch with big smiles on their faces. Roni opened hers silently but she freaked out when she opened Lou's and Deb's present to her. 

"Oh my god, no way, are you for freaking real right now?" Roni gasped. In her hand was a little black box with a set of keys in it. 

"Tell me you didn't just get her what I think you got her," Nine sighed. 

"It was Lou's idea, and well she does need a way to get around Irvine," Deb smiled. Nine just rolled her eyes playfully. She wasn't truly upset, she was just more annoyed that her little sister was growing up. 

"Thank you so much, Aunt Deb and Aunt Lou! You guys are the freakin best, ya know!" Roni exclaimed. She ran over and gave the two a hug before running off to the garage to see her new bike. The ladies all laughed when they heard the teen flipping out. Each of the women had only about 7-15 presents. They all decided that they'd get each other one small thing, but of course, significant others broke the rule just a tad. Plus the kids all got the women something.

Once the kids were through and running around playing with their toys. Tammy and Nine helped Lucas open all of his. Constance videotaped the whole thing for Tammy and Nine to have later and so that they could embarrass Lucas once he got older. Lucas got a hoard of clothes and a very cool collection of shoes. He got a few toys and accessories as well. 

"Lucas says thank you to all his wonderful Aunties," Tammy beamed. Lucas cooed and all the women swooned. Tammy handed Lucas to Lou as she cleaned up his pile and went off to put some stuff away so there was more room. Lou held the boy close and rocked him. He smiled up at her and babbled endlessly. Lou could have stayed in this moment forever, she loved children and they always loved her back. Tammy had named Lou and Deb the godparents of Lucas and they took that responsibility very seriously. Tammy had also named Deb the godmother of Derek but he was born during the couple's break so she named Danny the godfather. Keri's godparents were their uncle and aunt on their father's side. Though, now, if anything were to happen to her or her, she'd have someone fight for them to stay together with Nine or together with Deb and Lou. 

"Alright, adults turn now?" Constance whined. 

"Yes you big child," Nine teased. Constance just glared and then began to rip into her presents. She got a new camera from Nine, a new skateboard from Daphne, a custom coat designed by Rose, a cookbook from Tammy, a necklace with diamond studded B shaped gold pendant from Amita, a watch with Constance's name engraved underneath the face from Lou, and last but not least. 

"Really a metro card Mom?" Constance chuckled.

"You said you wanted one," Deb smirked. Constance laughed and shook her head. What she didn't realize at first is that it wasn't just an ordinary metro card. Actually, it wasn't even a metro card at all. It was a card with the design of a metro card, but it was a metal card dipped in 24k gold. It also had Constance's name along with a few other personal touches. Constance ran up and hugged her mom. 

"Thank mom," Constance whispered as she clung to the brunette. 

"Of course child," Deb smiled. Constance sat back down and held the card close and put on the necklace Amita made her. 

Amita was next to open her presents. A lot of the women had no idea what to get her. She never really wanted things, rather she wanted experiences. But it was hard to gauge what kind of experiences Amita wanted, especially since Amita could buy any of them or take an airplane out anywhere. They all had so much money, and with that came challenges. They all could get the stuff they got each other on their own. So some of the girls decided to either donate supplies to Amita's nonprofit. Constance got her a year subscription on Match.com and Tinder plus.  Deb and Lou though got her a new car, BMW M6 which sat outside. 

"You guys, this isn't a small gift" Amita gasped as she looked outside the front door. Her beautiful new car sparkled as the snow fell down. 

"Technically the keys are small," Deb teased. Amita rolled her eyes. 

"We know we broke a few rules, but why not get you something you can use. Plus LA you gotta have a car of your own," Lou shrugged. Amita gently wrapped the two up in a hug as Lou was still holding Lucas. She then kissed Deb's cheek. Deb rolled her eyes playfully and smiled at Amita. 

Daphne and Rose followed after. They all got sweet small things from the other women. Rose's favorite gift was a video montage of all her collections from Nine Ball. It embarrassed her, but it also gave her inspiration. She had come from the very bottom and now had a very successful company and none of it would have been possible without the crew or Daphne. It's what brought them together and she was happy she had something to push her to continue to her best work. Daphne's favorite gift was from the kids. They had paused their game as they wanted to give her the present themselves. They made her a photo album of all their adventures together and gave her a key to their new place in Irvine. 

"Oh my darlings you are too cute," Daphne beamed. She held the key close to her heart. The kids wrapped her up in a big hug. 

"You both are welcome at any time," Tammy smiled. Daphne nodded and mouthed 'thank you'. Daphne had told Tammy what had taken place on Christmas Eve. When Tammy got up in the middle of the night to try and get Lucas back to sleep, she found Daphne crying on the couch. She knew how much her kids meant to Daphne and she wanted to make sure she always felt welcome in their lives. 

Tammy and Nine opened their gifts next. From Deb and Lou they got tickets for a cruise and a whole week of babysitting. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Tammy asked. 

"Yeah, I mean we gotta practice anyways. Plus, we'll have these 4," Lou smiled. 

"They're going to be a handful you know," Nine laughed. 

"We know, but you two deserve a getaway, just the two of you," Deb replied. 

"Alright, well we'll go once things get settled in California," Tammy smiled. 

Nine also got a necklace from Amita that she was absolutely in love with. Amita made her a nine ball necklace that was made of gold, and had white diamonds, yellow citrine and black onyx set in it. Nine Ball wasn't one much for flashy jewelry but she immediately put in on and swore to never take it off. 

Tammy also got a gift that swept her off her feet from Deb. She covered her mouth as she went through a picture book of their entire friendship from the day they met to the present day. Tammy had very few pictures of her childhood after a fire destroyed her childhood home. While possessions were easily replaceable, the pictures were something she thought she'd never get back. 

"I found a bunch of old photo books, I figured you'd have more use for them than my empty house," Deb smiled. Tammy brushed her finger over the picture of them on the Disneyland trip with Mickey Mouse. As she flipped the pages her heart dropped as she found the last picture she thought she'd ever see again

********

"Come on take one picture for me Deb," Tammy begged.

"I rather not get kicked out of our Catholic High School," Deb whispered.

"It's our junior prom. We deserve to have at least 1 picture together," Tammy whined.

"Ugh, alright. But if we get caught it's all on you Tam-Tam," Deb warned. 

"Here Daniel," Tammy giggled as she handed Danny the camera. He rolled his eyes playfully and set up the shot. 

Tammy wrapped her girlfriend up in a big hug and planted a soft kissed on her lips. Deb kissed back slowly and softly. Their lips danced together, while it was sweet and full of love, they were always a little off with their timing or pace. It was as if Tammy were doing the foxtrot and Debbie was doing the waltz. They were similar enough, but they weren't on the same rhythm. They heard Danny click the camera.

"Thank Daniel," Tammy beamed against Deb's soft lips.

Deb smiled and kisses the blonde's forehead.

"Alright, let's go dance baby girl," Deb whispered. They spent the whole night together, dancing and stealing teasing kisses and touches. When the touches and kisses weren't enough, Deb led the blonde into the bathroom for a little more. 

"Oh Deb..." Tammy moaned as she felt her lover's fingers inside her. 

"Shhhhh Tammy, someone will hear you," Deb hushed. She covered the blonde's mouth. Tammy wrapped her legs around the brunette and she pinned the blonde up against the stall door to help hold her up. Her fingers moved so smoothly in and out of Tammy as she was practically leaking like a faucet. Her lips glided over the soft breasts of her girlfriend and then began to work on the semi-erect nipples. She sucked and drew patterns around them with her tongue. Tammy could have melted right then and there. Her body was overcome with pleasure and a feeling of security. While they were young, she felt that Deb might the one she ended up with. She knew it was going to be a long shot, but this teen had her hanging onto every single word and grasping at every single breathe. Every touch the brunette left scarred over and every time she made the blonde cum, a piece of the blonde's soul would attach itself to the other girl. 

"Deb, I'm going to..." Tammy mumbled against the older one's hand. Deb pressed her forehead against the stall door right next to Tammy's ear. She breathed hard and let out a soft moan that stirred up the second rush of lust in Tammy. 

"Come for me baby, come for me Tam-Tam," Deb whispered sexily. 

"Oh fuck! Uhhhhhhh" Tammy's muffled screams could be heard down the hall but luckily no one was around to pick them up. Tammy's wave surged through every fiber of her being. It reached starting at her stomach and expanded out into each limb, each finger and toe and all the way to the top of her head. She wasn't even aware of how loud she was being or how her body was convulsing. Deb held her lover close and worked her through her orgasm. Once Tammy's high had calmed down enough for her to be fully aware, Deb slipped her fingers out and set Tammy gently on the floor. They kissed one last time before heading back out onto the dance floor. Surprisingly none of their friends had noticed they had been gone.  

Their night was perfect. It was everything Tammy could dream of. She had the perfect prom date, a wonderful champerone, and had just broken every rule by having sex in the bathroom. It was a night she was never going to forget. 

********

  
Tammy brushed her fingertips over the photo and a big lump in her throat formed. It hurt to see this photo, but she was also so happy there was some evidence that Debbie and she had been a thing. She had her memories captured in stills that she could go over as much as she wanted now.

Nine could sense something in that photo album was hurting Tammy but she didn't want to pry. She figured her and Deb had a past but today was not the day to bring it up. She would let Tammy bring it up if at all. It was the past and she was comfortable with the fact that it would always just be the past. Debbie had Lou and she had Tammy.

Lou also figured that the photo was something between Deb and Tam. She also didn't know the full context of their relationship. She wanted to, but she was never going to ask. It wasn't her place. She had Deb now and that's truly all that should really matter. But every once and a while, it ate at her. Probably more because she had stolen Deb away from Tammy, and she couldn't help but think if she knew Deb earlier, maybe Tammy wouldn't have had to get her heartbroken the way it was. 

Next up were Deb and Lou.  They opened their gifts and all the boxes except the kid's gifts to them were empty. Deb and Lou were thoroughly confused. The women had absolutely no idea what to get them. They had everything they wanted. While they didn't spend their money frivolously, they weren't shy about getting the things they wanted. They had wasted so much time, that they saw no reason to not make each other happy and get what they wanted. So, the women got the only thing they could think of that you couldn't get with any sort of money. 

"Since you both have everything in the world that you want that money can buy, we decided to get you something different," Tammy smirked. 

"I mean, it's not much, but we figured it could give you something you have been wanting for a while now," Daphne shrugged playfully. 

"I mean we had to ship it here from an island, but really it was no trouble at all," Rose commented. 

"It's expensive to do it the other way, and plus, you don't really want a stranger making something so special," Nine teased.

"Now we are not responsible for its actions, but we can assure you the gift will give you at least perform one of your wishes," Constance winked. Nine covered her mouth trying not to laugh at Constance's comment. 

Deb and Lou looked at each other. They had a short conversation with their eyes and came to the conclusion that neither of them had any idea what the women were talking about. Then they looked back at the women who had all made their way to the front door. 

"Your present is a little scruffy, but I think it'll do," Amita smiled. She then opened the door and a tall man with dirty blond hair walked through their threshold. His hair was scruffy but his beard was nicely kept. His blue eyes could compete with the sky they were so blue. 

"Harry?" Lou gasped. 

"Ello sis," Harry smiled.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for being so patient with the updates. I have been in a rut for a bit. I hope this was worth the wait. Christmas Day will continue onto the next chapter. Again thanks for everything you wonderful beings. Hope you're having a wonderful night/day whenever you're reading this!!
> 
> Xoxo


	19. Gifts of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What in the world is Harry doing there? What kind of gift could he possibly give that was good enough that all the women were in on it.  
> Plus, there is an extravagant gift waiting for Tammy.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here Harry?!" Lou asked with an even amount of confusion and excitement. She jumped up and ran to give her not so little brother a hug. Harry embraced her and kissed the top of the blonde's head. 

"I'm here because your 6 friends have a way with words," Harold smiled. The 6 women waived at him and Amita winked. Harry winked back. 

"This is such a lovely surprise, I am so happy you're here," Lou beamed. Deb slowly got up, she wasn't sure she was welcome to this reunion or not. Harry nodded at Deb and smiled. 

"Hey you," Harry said softly.

"Hey Harold," Deb replied back even softer. 

"Well, we will let you enjoy your present. Have a wonderful Christmas ladies, dinner will be served at 6 sharp," Tammy smiled. The women and the 3 kids all split up into their groups and went off to enjoy the rest of the day. 

Harry and Lou walked over to Deb. Deb sat back down in the chair and Lou sat next to her. Harry took his place on the couch and looked around. 

"Not a bad place you got here sis," Harry commented. He pulled a blanket over his legs and rubbed his hands. "A suppose it's a bitch to heat though?" Harry added. 

"Yeah, but we make do," Lou smiled. Harry placed his hand on Lou's thigh. Harry was really glad to see his sister. He was also happy to see that she had made it for herself and that she was truly happy here. Over the last 6 years, he had tried to convince his sister to come home to Australia, but Lou refused. She wanted to stay and be there if Deb got out early or if something happened. Tammy promised Harry she'd look after Lou and she did just that. 

"So why are you really here, other than because our friends have a way with words?" Lou asked. 

"Well, I was told you were in need of some assistance, and I have decided to offer my help. It's not much, but it'll do as my Christmas present and their's for you both," Harry replied. He turned his head to look at Deb as he said "both of you". While he was still somewhat bitter, he knew could already tell just how happy she made his sister. And if what the women had told him were right, he couldn't deny giving his sister a piece of her happily ever after. 

"And that is?" Deb asked softly. 

"You want a child, and I am here to offer Lou's half," Harry exclaimed proudly. 

"Oh my god, I'm going to kill them. What? Harry are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to," Lou rambled. She was embarrassed and she didn't really know why. Harry knew that she had always wanted a kid with Deb, but for some reason now that it was all folding out in front of her, it was almost too much,

"Hey, no I want to do this. You deserve this. You both do," Harry said calmingly. 

"I mean, it's a lot to ask of you. Of course, you wouldn't have to be on the birth certificate or help in any way financially but, just knowing that our kid is also yours might be a lot," Deb pointed out. 

"Her DNA and mine are almost the same, it's really almost as if she were giving you this child. I am just physically helping out until there is another way or you want to adopt. I will love this child, but I know my place. And I promise you both, I will never overstep it. I know what I'm doing and I will do it as many times as you need me to," Harry insisted. 

"But what if you have kids?" Lou asked. 

"So what? They'll be cousins. Or if we want to explain it to them and whoever I have kids with then so be it," Harry shrugged. 

"Okay, but do you want custody or any legal guardianship over the child?" Deb questioned.

"If you guys want to make me the godfather, that then I'm okay with it. If not, I'm happy settling for the Uncle," Harry replied. 

"And what if," Lou started to say but was cut off by Harold. 

"Guys, I know what I'm doing. You don't have to worry about me. I have thought about this and everything is up to you when it comes to this child. He or she might be mine biologically, but like I said, you and I share the same DNA. So the kid is going to look like you enough for no one to question it. Anyways, it's fuckin 2018, kids don't have to look like their parents, and if someone thinks that then they don't need to be in your child's life," Harry insisted. Lou and Deb nodded. 

"I don't know what to say Harold," Lou whispered. 

"Nothing besides thanks," Harry laughed. He leaned over and kissed Lou's forehead. "Really though guys, I want to do this. I want to help make your dream a reality and if it only costs me some sperm, I say that's a win."

"Thank you Harry," Deb smiled. Harry nodded. They spent the rest of the morning talking about their plans and how Harry would fit into them. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tammy and Nine took the kids out on a stroll in the snow. Nine was pushing the stroller with Lucas in it and Tammy's hands interlocked with her two eldest. The kids sang Christmas carols and talked about their new toys and what they were going to do with them. Roni stayed behind to learn more about her bike from Auntie Lou. 

Nine couldn't help but smile the entire walk. She had everything she had ever wanted. Her sister was safe, she had enough money to live, and she had a family to call her own. It was the ultimate Christmas gift. 

"Whatcha thinkin bout Leslie?" Derek asked as he looked up at her. 

"Oh just how happy I am to be here with you all," Nine replied happily.

"We're happy you're here too!" Keri giggled. She let go of Tammy's hand and grabbed onto Nine's coat. Nine's face lit up and she stopped to give the small girl a kiss on the top of her head. 

Tammy's heart burst with joy as she witnessed this. She also had the most perfect Christmas gift. This year had been a rollercoaster, Deb getting out, the heist, her husband cheating, Lucas, and now this. She couldn't believe how much had happened in the last part of the year but she wouldn't trade it for the world. She finally felt whole again and she had the means to support her children for life and she also had support from 7 other incredible women. 

When they got back home, the kids immediately went to their room and packed for their fathers. Ashton had called, and he wanted to see them one last time before they went off to California. He decided to give up all parental rights and finally signed the divorce papers. He realized screwed up but he wasn't going to make the kids suffer for his mistakes. Tammy's heart broke as she heard him apologize. While he had made this mistake, he wasn't a cruel man. He was just a guy who grew up with certain values and standards and if she hadn't have found Deb, maybe she would have been satisfied with those standards and values. But she had and she couldn't live that life any longer. 

"They'll be okay," Amita whispered softly. Tammy almost jumped when she heard the soft voice. She hadn't realized that she had been standing in the doorway for a while now. She stepped in and closed the door. 

"I know, I just, sometimes can't help but wonder if I should have tried harder," Tammy whispered sadly. She felt guilty about leaving but she also felt guilty about feeling guilty about leaving. She was so happy with Leslie, happier than she had been with her husband in a really long time. 

"Honey, you did what you had to do. And honestly, I think you're going to be much happier because of it. I have never seen you glow this much before. When you were with Ashton, you were always behind him, making sure you never stepped on his shadow. You were the perfect housewife, but honey, you weren't made to be a housewife. You deserve your own spotlight now, and the kids will understand that when they get older. What you did was hard, and I know some days will seem like it would be easier to just have played the part. But I promise you, Leslie loves you and she loves those kids. She'd do anything and everything just to see you all happy. You deserve someone like that," Amita pointed out. Tammy took a deep breath. Amita was right, she did deserve someone who worshiped her, but was also as an equal. Playing the part was easy but easy doesn't always mean right. 

"Go on, have a wonderful Christmas with your boo thang before dinner starts. You deserve it Mama," Amita winked. 

"Thanks Amita," Tammy smiled. She went upstairs to find Nine on her hands and knees looking for something. 

"Hey, can I help..." Tammy began to say. 

"No, go away!" Nine yelled. Tammy was startled by this. She had never heard Leslie yell before. She quickly backed out of the room and bit her lip. She stood there frozen outside their room running through a million different scenarios. Her eyes began to water as she began to think of the worst. She tried to go back and think about what she had done wrong. Had she offended Leslie in some way? Were the gifts from the kids not enough? Was Debbie's gift too much? For what seemed to Tammy like hours passing by, it was only 3 minutes before Nine emerged from the room. 

"Hey I'm sorry about that, I dropped your gift and I didn't want you to accidentally see it," Nine whispered. Tammy breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Oh okay baby, I was worried," Tammy whispered. She cupped Nine's face in her hands. "I thought I had done something wrong."  
  
"No no, I'm sorry I yelled, I just was surprised and I didn't want you to ruin your own surprise by accident," Nine said calmingly. She leaned in and kissed the brown-eyed woman tenderly. Their lips met and everything felt calm again. Nine pulled Tammy in by her belt loops. Tammy smirked a little as she tilted her head to kiss Nine deeper. Their bodies pressed up against each other and they stayed like this for what seemed like forever. Each leaving soft lingering kisses or long open mouth ones. 

Nine pulled away gently and pressed her forehead against Tammy's. 

"What is it baby?" Tammy asked gently. 

"It's time for your Christmas present," Nine whispered back. Tammy's eyes lit up with curiosity and excitement. 

"But we said no gifts baby," Tammy giggled. She was nervous. She actually followed that rule for once and now she felt terrible. 

"I know, but oh well," Nine smiled. She kissed Tammy's lips one last time before taking her hand and walking with her out of the loft. Amita was waiting for them outside with a car. Tammy looked at Amita and then back at Nine. She had no idea what was happening. 

"Welcome Tammy and Leslie, I will be your personal chauffeur today. I hope you don't mind my driving," Amita winked. She opened the door and the two women crawled into the black SUV. Tammy spend the entire car ride looking out the window trying to get a sense of where they were going. She was surprised at every turn and left even more curious than the last. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had been taken out like this, or gone out for a surprise. 

Amita parked on the side of the street and made her way around to open the door for the ladies. 

"Alright, your journey awaits you. Have fun ladies!" Amita announced. Tammy and Leslie exited the SUV and began walking into Central Park. Rose petals blew gently around the path as they had been scattered along earlier that morning. Snow fell slowly around the two women as they kept going down the path. 

"Well isn't this something," Tammy beamed. Leslie just smiled and held the older woman's hand closer. While she didn't let it show, Leslie was shaking in her boots. She had never been more nervous before. She passed by the bench in which Lou and her sat when they did their test run of the blind spot. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you Nine Ball," Debbie whispered into her mic. 

"Don't mention it. That was easy," Nine Ball scoffed playfully. 

"What's hard?" Lou asked. Nine just shrugged and Lou smirked. They both walked off together back to the car. As they walked they passed by a small gazebo. Nine stopped in her tracks. Lou didn't notice the young woman wasn't following until she got quite far ahead. She turned back to see Nine just standing there. She walked back and placed her arm on the other woman's shoulder as an armrest. 

"She won't be easy to open up, but I think she does feel something for you too," Lou whispered. Nine jumped a little when she heard those words flow off Lou's tongue. She looked at Lou and Lou just shrugged. 

"There is something you need to know before you go after her though," Lou said softly. Nine's heart dropped a little. She could tell this was going to be news she really didn't want to hear, but she knew if Lou suggested she hear it, she was going to listen.

"Shoot," Nine mumbled. 

"Tammy and Deb used to be lovers..." Lou trailed off. Nine nodded. She had suspected the two had a history but she didn't realize it went in that direction. She just figured they were really good friends who had a falling out. 

"I don't mind, as long it's a used to," Nine shrugged. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou had asked what was hard, and if she were to ask it again right now, Leslie would have to say this was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She had been through some shit in her life, but what she was about to top all of that. It scared her to her very core, but she knew she had to. She felt it deep in her bones that this was the right thing to do. It only made sense for her to go through with it. 

When the women finally reached the gazebo, it was lit up with red and gold twinkly lights. Rose petals coated the floor and candles flickered around the railing. Tammy gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn't believe the beautiful sight before her eyes. A beautifully decorated gazebo in Central Park with a background of the frozen over lake. 

Leslie led Tammy into the gazebo and stopped when they were both in the middle. Overhead was a thing of mistletoe which Tammy noticed as she spun around taking in the all the sights and sounds. 

"Oh Leslie, this is so cute," Tammy giggled. When she looked back straight ahead, Leslie was nowhere in her sight. She had a moment of panic before she looked down in which she found Leslie on one knee. 

"Oh my..." Tammy whispered breathlessly. 

"Tammy, I have been in love with you since the very beginnin of this thing. You took my breath away the first time I met you and you continue to do so each and every mornin when I wake up next to you. Not only do you take my breath away, but you make my heart race faster and my smile brighter. In these past 8 months, I have not only fallen for you but fallen for your kids too. They got me wrapped around their little fingers and I never want to be untangled from them.  You, Derek, Keri, and Lucas have given me a purpose to wake each mornin. And I hope that I get to spend the rest of my life wakin up to you 4. I want you and them forever. So, Tamatha, will you marry me?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT DOES TAMMY SAY??????? I honestly didn't think of them as a pairing, but as I continue to write their story, I am all for it. I love them together more than I thought I ever would. I am excited about the next few chapters, they all will be super fluffy with a few sex scenes intertwined in there. Buckle up though, because, after those chapters, you're all going to be in for a bit of a rollercoaster. Anywhoo, thank you all for the continued support! Have a great night/day whenever you're reading this!!
> 
> Xoxo


	20. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of the last chapter

Tammy looked down at her woman and gasped. She couldn't believe what was happening. How this was happening or why. They had barely been dating. They'd known each other less than a year. Everything was moving so fast. Tammy felt like the world was spinning and she somehow was standing still. It was like 5 years had flashed before her in this very moment. She could see their future ahead of them. She saw them raising the kids together, maybe even creating one of their own. She saw their wedding day on a beach. She could see their life in Irvine and then once the kids were older, they'd run off on a long vacation exploring the world. She could see late nights filled with pizza, movies, and beer. She could see Nine hacking into every single one of their kid's significant other's social media to make sure they're good people. A small smile formed on her face as everything flashed before her. 

Leslie watched the older woman's chocolate brown eyes moving ever so slightly but very quickly. She knew that meant Tammy was thinking and going through all the scenarios her mind could create at that moment. Leslie stayed down on one knee and would stay there until she got an answer. She also wasn't going to push Tammy for an answer, no matter how long it took. She knew this was all going extremely fast. Even for her, it seemed crazy. But she knew how she felt and she knew this is what she wanted. She wanted Tammy, Derek, Keri, and Lucas to be hers forever.  

Tammy felt terrible about making Leslie wait so long, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. Instead, Tammy helped Leslie to her feet and wrapped her in a long embrace. Leslie held Tammy close and kissed the top of her head. After what seemed like hours, Tammy finally let go and took the ring. She recognized that the center diamond was part of the Toussaint and there were a few other little emeralds in there, which was her birthstone. She slipped it on her finger and looked at it. 

"Is that a yes?" Leslie whispered softly.

"It's a yes, but I want to make something very clear," Tammy began. Leslie nodded and held her breath. "I need some time to process this, not as in I'm going to say no later on because I won't. It's more, when we first agreed to get into whatever we are in,  I asked to take things slow. Only a month later, you are on one knee with this ring that is the most beautiful I've ever seen. So I'm going to take this more as a promise ring, a promise to marry me someday, a promise to be there for our kids, a promise to love me, rather than we should get married now.."

"That's perfectly fine with me baby," Leslie smiled. Tammy smiled back and then pulled her lover in for a nice slow kiss. They spent the afternoon on the gazebo talking and enjoying their new status of engaged to be one someday. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the rest of the ladies did their thing, Daphne and Rose went back to Daphne's Manhattan flat. It was worth a few million dollars and had anything and everything you could possibly want. Rose was always slightly uncomfortable here. It reminded her of what she used to have before she spent all her money in 2 years. 

"Merry Christmas babe," Daphne said as she pulled the older woman into her arms. Rose smiled and kissed the taller woman's cheek. 

"Merry Christmas darling," Rose beamed and then continued, "I got you something." 

"Baby you didn't have to," Daphne blushed. 

"Oh like you didn't get me something Daphne Ann Kluger," Rose teased. Daphne rolled her eyes and shrugged. She got caught and couldn't deny it. 

"Can I go first though?" Daphne asked. 

"Of course," Rose nodded. Daphne clapped her hands and ran off upstairs to the bedroom and was down in less than 5 minutes. In her hands was a small red box. 

"It's not much, but I thought it'd be nice for us," Daphne beamed. Rose smiled and took the small box. She gently undid the gold ribbon around it and opened the box. 

"Oh no you didn't," Rose gasped. In the box were a set of keys and a business card for a yacht club. 

"Well since you lost your last two boat houses, I thought since we're going to be living by the Ocean again, it'd be nice to have.." Daphne whispered. She bit her lip as she began to doubt her gift. She knew it was large and brought up some bad memories for Rose, but she was hoping that they could make some new memories there, by themselves and with the crew. 

"Thank you so much baby girl," Rose smiled and kissed her lover slowly. Daphne smiled against the shorter woman's lips. They stood there for a few more minutes tangled together. 

"Alright, are you ready for yours?" Rose mumbled against Daphne's lips.

"Of course," Daphne squealed softly. Rose laughed and took Daphne's hand. 

"Okay darling, we gotta go somewhere though," Rose smiled. Daphne tilted her head but followed her lover's lead. They exited the apartment and made the half a mile walk down to Rose's store. Rose fumbled with the keys to the front door. She was so nervous about her gift. It had taken her a while to create, but she wasn't sure it was going to be enough. Once she finally got the keys to cooperate, she lead the younger woman down the basement where she kept all her unfinished works or private collections. There was a rack for each of the women which contained outfits for various occasions or just things they had asked Rose to make special or alter. 

Daphne really had no idea what this could be about. She kind of figured it may be a new dress for her or maybe even a new collection. But what she was about to see was something even her wildest dreams couldn't make up. 

In the center of the room were two small clothing racks, which were both covered with plastic. Rose turned on the lights and made Daphne stand in front of both of them. 

"Okay, are you ready?" Rose asked. There was a hint of fear and nervousness that wavered in her voice. 

"Yes, I'm more than ready," Daphne replied confidently. Rose nodded and took off both pieces of plastic simultaneously. Underneath the racks were children's clothes, one set for a boy and another set for a girl. The boy's rack had a pair of overhauls, a few little onesies, a hat, and some pants all themed around sailing. The girl's rack had a little yellow coat, a few onesies, a beanie and a skirt all themed around Daffodils. 

Daphne's eyes began to water as the breath in her lungs escaped her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her heart was pounding so hard her whole body vibrated each time it bounced off her rib cage. 

"I thought about what you said.. and while I am afraid still, and very much unsure of the future, I do know that I want a future with you. You're right, I wouldn't be alone in this thing. I would have you and that's all I need. But if having a future with you means children, then I accept. Because I don't want to be a parent unless I'm the parent to your child," Rose whispered. She took the brunette woman's hand in hers and squeezed it tight. Daphne's lips moved but no sound came out. It was as if her voice left her as quickly as the air did the minute she laid eyes on those clothes. She held Rose's hand and walked toward the racks. She gently touched each rack, scanning, and admiring the beautiful pieces. Her heart overflowed with joy as she traced the small daffodil that was on the yellow coat. 

"Yes," Daphne finally croaked out. 

"Yes what?" Rose asked softly.

"Just yes.." Daphne whispered. She pulled the older woman into a deep embrace. She placed soft kisses on her face and whispered "thank you" over and over after each kiss. Her Christmas gift was one she was never going to forget. The possibility of children was all she needed. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was now 5:30 and the kitchen was looking like a war zone. Flour was scattered all over the floor and countertops. Dirty dishes piled in both sinks and in the dishwasher. Scraps of food were sprinkled on the countertops and could be found wherever you turned. Though the smell that radiated from the ovens and from the stovetop could compete with any 5-star restaurant in town. The sounds of kitchen flowed through the house as if symphony music were playing from the record player. The sauces bubbling rang like bells, the clatter of the pots banged as the drums, the sizzles of the meats and veggies acted as the wind instruments and the timers went off like chimes. 

By 6 pm everything was set and everyone was gathered around the table. It was incredible how that much chaos created such a wonderful meal. Tammy, Nine, and Amita all worked their asses off, and it showed. They had created everything anyone at the table wanted for Christmas Dinner. They based most of their food off of what the Ocean's Christmas dinner was like but threw in a few more things to add some variety. 

"Merry Christmas everyone," Tammy shouted happily. 

"Merry Christmas," everyone replied back. 

"Best Christmas ever!" Constance cheered and took a swig of her champagne. Everyone laughed and the feast began. It was a joyous time, very similar to Thanksgiving. The feeling of love and happiness overpowered the few speckles of uncertainty. Everyone had what they wanted, and more. 

Lou and Deb constantly made eyes at each other during dinner. They would sneak touches underneath the table. Deb would occasionally take some food off of Lou's plate and eat it as slowly and as sexually as she could without being too obvious. Despite Lou's efforts, she couldn't help but do her famous lip biting thing. She never really did it until she met Deb all those years ago. She couldn't help herself. Whenever Deb turned her on or made her nervous, her mouth would immediately resort to it. 

"You better stop that Ocean," Lou whispered in her lover's ear.

"Make me," Deb teased. The brunette then took a small spoon full of mashed potatoes and slowly licked it off her spoon. She made sure to swirl her tongue around the silver object before putting it in her mouth. She then slowly took it out and when it left her lips it made a popping sound. Lou growled as she watched her lover seduce her with a spoon. She needed a distraction before she pinned Deb down on the table and fucked her right there. Her eyes frantically scanned the table for something and her ears listened in on every conversation trying to find something to jump into. Then she noticed something shiny on Tammy's finger. 

"Hey! What's that on your finger??" Lou shouted a little too loudly. Tammy bit her lip and blushed brightly. She had forgotten she even had the ring on. 

"Oh uh.. well.." Tammy stuttered. She wasn't planning on telling the group this soon, but now it was too late.

"I uh proposed," Nine interjected. 

"OH MY GOD I HAVE ANOTHER SET OF MOMS!!!!!!!!!!!!" Constance squealed. 

"Congratulations Tammy and Nine, that's so exciting," Debbie beamed. 

"Two engagements, wow Amita you must've been busy," Daphne teased. 

"What's proposed to mean Mommy?" Derek asked. 

"What is engagement?" Keri asked. Both of her children looked at her with puzzled but excited faces as they fed off the energy of the room. 

"Well, proposed means, that I have asked your Mommy to take my hand in marriage someday. So that we can all be a family forever," Nine explained. 

"And engaged means that I said yes, that I do one day promise we will get married," Tammy added in. 

"Oh yay!! We get two mom's now!" Derek beamed. Nine and Tammy both took a deep breath and smiled together at the kids, and then at the rest of the group. 

"We're so happy for you," Lou chimed in. 

"Thanks guys, it means a lot," Tammy said. 

"So how did your gift go Rose?" Deb pried. 

"Oh uh.. very well," Rose fumbled nervously over her words. She had talked to Deb about the whole situation with Daphne. She knew that Deb was probably the only other person who would understand her fears, which was true.

********

"I am afraid that I'll ruin everything, she mentioned she's wanted a child since she was a child. I have never really felt that strongly one way or the other. I think kids are cute, but I'm so terrified I'm going to screw up their lives if I'm in it too long. I'm anxious and abnormal and I know that children feed off of that and..." Rose was rambling. She had found the other brunette woman sitting in the study curled up with some baby books and a list of names. She had asked if they could talk and of course, Deb said yes. She could sense that Rose had something on her mind. 

"Look, Rose, I get it. I do. Kids terrify me too. I am probably the first person that God would point to and say, "This person doesn't deserve a child". My family and I have ruined so many lives. What on Earth makes it okay for me to bring one into this life? Nothing, really. But Lou. Lou deserves that. Lou deserves the whole world and then some on a gold plate with gold silverware to eat it off of.  I never really wanted children, but Lou has. And I am going to do everything I can to make sure she gets what she wants. Because I have screwed up everything, but I won't this time. I know that deep down, despite all the terrible thoughts in my head, I deserve my slice of happiness too. That slice is making Lou happy so I will do what have to do, and I know deep down I will love it too.  And I also know that the minute that child is brought into our lives, I am going to love it more than I love Lou, and that seems almost impossible. So I'm going to bare these children, and we are going to live out our happily ever after as well as we can. But if you really don't think you can handle a kid, then you shouldn't. A kid is not something to hold together a relationship. It's supposed to be an extension of your love. A way of saying, I love you so much that I want to create future generations with you. I want our DNA to be intertwined in a human. But if all you are is scared that you're gonna mess it up, that means you already love it enough to protect it, and maybe you should consider the idea again," Deb explained. 

Rose nodded and took a deep breath. She sat down in the extra chair and picked up a book. The two ladies sat in silence as the anxious energy dissipated like the sunlight outside. 

********

"What was the gift?" Tammy asked.

"Rose and I have decided to have a child someday in the future," Daphne whispered. She held Rose's hand tightly and smiled from ear to ear. 

"I get more siblings!?" Constance yelled, though her words were muffled by the ham in her mouth. 

"Constance," Amita hissed softly. Constance looked down and chewed the rest of her food. 

"Oh wow, that's so exciting guys. Congratulations to you as well," Lou added. 

"Thanks, it was a big decision but hey, go big or go home right?" Rose teased. The rest of the gang laughed. They all knew that motto too well. 

"It looks like everyone got their biggest Christmas wish this year," Tammy beamed. 

"It sure does," Deb smiled. The rest of the group nodded in agreement. It was by far the best Christmas any of these women have had in a while, and it was only going to get better as their family expanded and moved onto better things. California was only about 2 and a half months away and then the real fun would begin. 

It was 10 pm and all the children were upstairs asleep. The adults were drinking around the stage playing spin the bottom and telling inappropriate Christmas stories. 

**knock knock**

Everyone turned to look at the door and then at each other. Puzzled and confused faces were expressed to each other.

"Is anyone expecting anyone else?" Tammy asked. 

"No.." Deb hesitated. All the other women, plus Harry shook their heads. 

"I'll get it," Harry said. He got up slowly and walked over to the front door. He looked out the peephole and saw nothing but a package. He opened the door and picked it up and brought it back to the table. 

"It's for Lou," Harry said. Lou then got up and stumbled to the table. She raised her eyebrow as she examined the box. She shook it before she took the Ham knife to open it.  The knife fell from her fingertips and as if in slow motion, fell onto the ground. Shivers were sent down Deb's arms as she heard the knife hit the ground. Suddenly the air in the room got much colder and the feeling of joy fell with the knife. 

"Oh my god.." Lou whispered. 

"What is it?" Deb asked as she stood up. She walked over to the table to look inside the box herself. 

"Geezus that's Danny's.." Deb uttered. All the ladies stood up and stumbled their way to the table to peer into the box. Inside was an old school wanted-poster with Danny's picture and all his information.

"$150,000,000 for Danny?" Lou asked. 

"I wonder who wants him?" Harry added. Deb picked up the piece of paper and flipped it over hoping that no one saw that it also had his associates listed. She recognized it. While the poster template was old and overused, it still meant something in their world. He had a hit on him, a very expensive hit on him, and not only was he in danger, but her, Lou, Amita, and Tammy too. She shoved the paper into her pocket and composed herself. 

"Don't worry about this, it's just a prank. I'll get to the bottom of it. Try and forget about it and enjoy the rest of your night," Deb smiled. The rest of the ladies hesitated but nodded at their leader. As they went back to playing their game, Deb slipped off upstairs into the study and locked herself in there. 

"Oh Danny, what have you gotten yourself into..?" Deb mumbled to herself.   

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry, it took me so long to update. I went away for the weekend and I'm now getting back into the swing of things. But today I screwed up and ruined everything with the person who was the inspiration for this story, so I'm sorry if my updates aren't as creative or as amazing as they once were. I'll do my best though because despite what I think in my head, I do have other people who enjoy this story. Sorry for the personal update, but I thought you readers should know... I'm gonna stop now. Again thanks for reading this story, it means a lot. I hope you're having a much better day/night than I am right now. 
> 
> xoxo


	21. The Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's New Year's Eve and the ladies are going out with a bang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, there is a scene with sexual assault, nothing too detailed or graphic.

It was New Year's Eve and the ladies were all getting ready to celebrate it at Lou's club. It was the last night it was going to be open under her management and she wanted to it to go out with a bang. Somehow she pulled some strings and got Steve Aoki to come and DJ for the night. Yesterday she had spent all day setting up her club. She had confetti cannons installed up on the rafters, more laser lights and added a few extra TV's so that everywhere people looked, they'd be able to watch the ball drop. 

She was sad to leave this place. It had been her home for the last 4 years. She built it from the ground up. She put a lot of time and energy into building its reputation. It was a safe place and she prided herself in that. No one had ever reported a sexual assault there and word around town was that no one was hiding one from there either. She ran a tight ship and she would protect her girls and any girl who walked through her doors. She would take it extremely personal if someone were to get hurt in her club. She wasn't going to let what happened the last time she and Deb went to a club for fun happen to any other girl. 

********

"Hey baby I'm gonna step off to the bathroom," Lou yelled trying to battle the raging music for her lover's attention. 

"Do you want me to go with you?" Deb yelled back.

"No you stay here, it's right over there. I'll be right back okay?" Lou said. Deb nodded and watched her lover slip off into the crowd. 

Lou walked to the bathroom as quickly as she could without getting shoved or a drink spilled on her. Once she made it there she briefly stopped at the mirror to check her makeup and hair. She smiled to herself as she saw a small bruise on her neck. Her fingers traced over the black and blue mark that her lover had left just hours before. She really couldn't believe how she ever caught a woman like Deborah Ocean. 

As she began to wash her hands she heard 4 sets of heavy footsteps enter the bathroom. She then heard the door close, which was unusual, the door was always left open for the girls who couldn't handle their alcohol. When the click of the lock rang through the room, her heart sank into her stomach and every hair on her back stood up. 

"What's a pretty girl like you doing with a chick?" a male voice asked. Lou looked up from her hands and saw a man, about 25, brunette, alpha male type leaning up against the wall across from her. 

"That's none of your business," Lou replied. She didn't make direct eye contact with him, but she looked his way, making sure he knew she wasn't afraid. 

"You ever had dick?" another man asked. He looked about the same age as the other male except he had red hair. He stood up against the stall directly behind her. 

"No." Lou growled. 

"Well, then how would you know if you like it or not hot stuff," the 3rd man asked. He was smaller than the other two. He had dirty blonde hair and couldn't be older than 20. She could tell in his demeanor that he didn't quite belong, but he had something to prove which made him unpredictable. 

"You know Tony, maybe she just needs a real man to show her how it's done,"  the last voice asked. He was a bit older and bigger than the other two. He stood directly beside her and looked her over. 

"Well maybe a real man needs to show you how you like it up the arse," Lou scoffed. 

The men just laughed. She watched the older one's green eyes grow hungry with desire and lust. His chest puffed out and his lips curled into a smirk as he made his mind up that he was going to take her one way or another.  Lou was no weakling, but she knew she stood no chance against 3 men. Two could hold her down while the other did what they wanted. She calculated every possible scenario and none of them looked good for her, but she wasn't going to let them just take what they wanted freely. She was going to fight and scream like hell. She wasn't going to make it easy.

The redhead and the brunette walked toward her while the older man stood and watched the fear in her eyes grow. His smirk grew with every step the other men took toward her. Lou began to scream which caused the two men to pin her against the bathroom wall and cover her mouth. She kicked out as hard as she could but they were quick to subdue her. They were quick and calculated as if they had done this before. The older man just laughed and shook his head as he watched her struggle. He then walked over and placed himself in front of her. She could smell the mixture of Old Spice, Jack Daniel's and cigarettes coming off of him. He wrapped her small throat in his hands and the brunette took his hand away from her mouth. 

"Oh you're going to enjoy this blondie. I will make sure of it," the older man whispered into her ear. He grabbed her thigh and placed his hand underneath her skirt. Lou felt as if she were drowning. She couldn't breathe and her body felt so heavy after each attempt to fight them off.  Like water, the men held her down and made it almost impossible for her to move. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the worst. She felt numb everywhere but the places the older man had a hold of. They were in overdrive and she could feel every movement he made. She could taste his breath even though he wasn't kissing her. She could see his eyes burning into her, even though she had her eyes glued shut. Lou could hear his breath beginning to become heavy as he got more aroused. The faint sound of keys jingling also played in the background but she couldn't tell if they were from the men or from outside. Just as the man was about to take Lou's underwear, three loud pops deafened the room. 

*pop* *pop* *pop*

The youngest man fell to the floor. Immediately the other two let go of Lou, but the older man didn't even flinch. He still had his hand wrapped around Lou's neck.

"Let go of her right now, or I will put a bullet right through that brick of a head you got Jules," a familiar voice yelled. 

"Well well well, isn't it Mr. Danny Ocean, coming to save the day again," Jules scoffed as he turned to face Danny. He pulled Lou in front of him and held her close to his body as a shield. 

"It's over Jules, let her go!" Danny yelled again. 

"You and what army Danny. I got two guys left, who do you have?" Jules laughed. Suddenly the room echoed with the sound of two other guns cocking. Rusty and Deb entered the bathroom pointing their guns at the other two men. 

"Let her go Jules, this has nothing to do with her," Deb hissed. The three men looked at each other and then Jules let Lou go. 

"Alright, but we'll be back. This isn't over," Jules announced. He and his boys exited the bathroom. The minute they were gone Deb dropped the gun and ran over to embrace her woman. Lou's body gave out and she fell into Deb's arms. Deb set her down gently and held her as close as she could. She stroked the blonde woman's hair as she broke down into hysteria. 

"Shh shh, it's okay. I'm right here... I'm right here," Deb whispered soothingly. She rocked the woman in her arms and kept repeating that sentence over and over again. Lou had never been so scared in her life, never so sure she was going to end up used, or even worse dead. Her whole body shook. And even though she wasn't in danger of drowning anymore, it felt as if the water was still there, enclosing around her and at any moment about to fill her lungs. 

"I'm so sorry Lou..." Danny whispered. Lou just nodded and continued to sob into her lover's chest. 

********

Daphne also helped pull some strings and got a few A-list celebrities to come and join the party. Taylor Swift and her entourage, Jennifer Lawrence, Chloe Grace Moretz, Liam Payne, Justin Bieber, Hailey Baldwin, and Anna Kendrick were just a few of the guests on this list.

"I finally get to actually interact with Taylor Swift," Amita squealed as she held Tammy's master guest list.

"You are still so white," Constance teased. She grabbed the list and she felt her heart drop.

"I thought you'd want him there," a familiar high pitched voice cut through Constance's thoughts.

"How did you get them?" Constance whispered in disbelief.

"Actors aren't the only ones who can pull strings darling," Rose smiled.

"I'm gonna propose to Kim Nam-joon," Constance yelled.

Out of nowhere Tammy took her list back from the Asian's small hands and put it in her pocket.

"You weren't supposed to have this," Tammy scolded.

"Sorry Tam.. it was me. I couldn't help it, " Amita whispered. Tammy just shook her head. She couldn't be mad at them. The party wasn't a big secret, actually, people called to see if they could pull strings to get in,  but the list was really meant for the 8 ladies to fully enjoy themselves. Lou had orchestrated most of the list specifically for Debbie. She wanted her to have the time of her life by introducing her to things she missed while in jail. Everything Lou did had Deb's best interest in mind.

\---------------------------------------

"Alright ladies, are we almost ready?" Daphne asked as she struggled to put in her last pearl earring. She had chosen a Rose Weil Original to ear tonight, which wasn't uncommon.  It was a red cocktail dress with a long train in the back. It also has black lace roses on the front. She began to buckle her heels as Tammy and Nine entered the room.

"We're good," Tammy said. Daphne looked up and looked over the couple. Nine was in a navy blue suit jacket and pants. A black bra peeked out from underneath the jacket. Tammy was in a blue and white dress that flowed past her knees. It was backless but her hair covered most of what was showing. 

"Damn, trying to bring the house down before we even get there, I like it," Daphne teased. The two women blushed and smiled.

"Gotta go all out," Tammy smiled. 

"I'm here, I'm ready!" Constance yelled as she slid down the railing of the stairs. Her green dress flowed behind her like a cape in the wind as she slid down. Her make up was subtle but it matched her dress. She jumped off smoothly and joined the others. Tammy reached over and smoothed out Constance's hair. 

"Thanks, mom #3," Constance whispered. Tammy laughed and smiled. 

Amita came out in a very similar dress to what she wore to the Met. It was a longer dress but it still allowed her to dance the night away. Harry came out in a nice suit with a tie that matched her dress. The other women looked the pair up and down and they all had the same shit eating grin. They figured something would happen between the two. They'd been making eyes at each other since Amita and Nine went to pick Harold up from the airport. 

"Well if it isn't the new hottest couple in town," Nine teased. Constance made a few "ow ow" sounds and the rest of the women laughed. 

"We're not anything," Amita hushed them. She wasn't quite sure how that conversation was going to go down with Lou. While they had known each other quite some time, Amita was never really sure how Lou felt about her. Lou never really talked to her directly, it was always Deb. Though Lou was like that with a lot of people, so Amita never really took it personally. But now that they've all become so close, the lines were getting a little blurry. 

"Yet," Harold added. The ladies all "ooed" and busted out laughing once again.

"What's all the commotion down 'ere?" a thick Australian accent trailed down the stairs. The women all looked up to see their 2nd in command in a leather jacket with a dark plum button up half way buttoned, and a pair of black skinny jeans hugging her curves in all the right places. As she leaned over the railing, the collection of necklaces dangled freely away from her bare chest. 

"Someone's looking awful sharp up there," Harry smiled. 

"You mean wearing everything Deb likes to ensure she's gonna get laid at midnight?" Constance hollered. Everyone including Lou laughed at that one. Lou walked down the stairs and did a head count.

"Where's Deb?" Lou asked.

"We assumed she was with you," Tammy replied.

"I haven't seen her all day," Lou muttered. When Lou woke up this morning her lover was gone. She assumed she was just out running errands, but she had never been away more than a few hours before letting her know where she was. 

"Nine.." Lou whispered. 

"Already on it," Nine said as she was scrolling through her phone. For what seemed like hours for Lou, Nine pinpointed Deb's location in record time.

"She's already at the club?" Daphne whispered.

"Alright then, I guess that means it's time to go," Constance said. The rest of the ladies nodded and all got their things together and headed out.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

It was just turning 10 pm when the ladies rolled up to the club. The line was already around the block and the music could be heard a few blocks down. Cars littered the streets and horns fought the club's music for attention. Uber, Lyft, street and laser lights danced across the dark alley and lit up the streets. Constance and Amita's faces were glued to the window as the drove by the chaos. They'd never seen anything like it. Not even at the Met.  A few of Daphne's invites were already inside and greeted the ladies once they got in through the back.

"Oh my gosh Daphne, this place is so cool. Thanks for the invite!" Taylor Swift yelled over the music. The two embraced and then they all made their way to the dance floor. Constance immediately found B.T.S, Amita and Harry talked with TSwift and crew, Tammy and Nine were chatting up JLaw and Anna Kendrick. 

 Lou gently pushed passed everyone to see if she could find Deb. She searched the dance floor, the bar, the bathrooms, the stage, and even the basement but she was still nowhere to be found. Her heart began to race as her worry slowly started to eat at her insides. The last place to look was her office, but it was locked, and Deb wasn't ever the best at picking locks. As she climbed up the stairs she could feel her insides starting to fold in on themselves. She found the door to her office wide open and soft music playing. As stepped over the threshold, she found a woman with her back turned to her. The woman was wearing a familiar little black dress with silver embroidering that accentuated every single curve and line on the woman who was wearing it. A primal soft moan escaped Lou's lips which caused the woman in the dress to turn around. The woman was holding a dozen red roses and behind her was a table set for two. Lou finally began to absorb what else surrounded her as her attention had been completely occupied by the woman. Candles covered her office as well as rose petals and bits of fake snow. A record player spun soft songs about love.

"You didn't have to do any of this for me," Lou whispered. The brunette shook her head and placed the flowers in a vase. She slowly walked up to Lou and placed a soft kiss on her temple. 

"You're right, I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I wanted this to be a very memorable night, and to congratulate you on this club. I'm very proud of you baby," Debbie whispered in Lou's ear. These words sent shivers down Lou's spine and untangled the mess that her intestines made just a few minutes before.

"Thank you," Lou mumbled. Her cheeks were flushed and butterflies replaced the knots. Hearing that Deb was proud of her made her melt. She expected a different reaction from Deb when she told her about the club. She expected a fit to be thrown or Deb to push it off as something no more than to occupy her time while Deb was away. And while it was just that, it was something much more too. It had saved her and given her another purpose while Deb was locked away. She was proud of herself, and even more proud to hear Debbie say she was proud of her. 

"Well let's eat," Deb smiled. She took the blonde woman's hand in hers and lead her to the table. Lou sat down and Deb followed after she opened a picnic basket. She pulled out two Tupperware containers and began to place the content of them on the plate. 

"My favorite," Lou blushed. Debbie just smiled as she placed the last bit of frits on Lou's plate. Lou had never had steak and frits until Deb came along. The family had gone out to a French restaurant one night for Deb's birthday and the rest was history. Deb then poured some wine and raised her glass. 

"To the Heron," Deb smiled.

"To the Heron," Lou blushed. Their glasses gently caressed each other and their eyes never disconnected as they drank their wine.

\-------------------------------------------------------

"Oh my god it's almost 11, where are those two bitches," Daphne whined as she looked up at one of the TV screens. 

"Probably fucking," Constance yelled over the music. She was dancing up on some girl while she had a drink in her hand. 

"Seriously though, this is supposed to be about Deb and Deb isn't even down here," Tammy sighed. Nine pulled the woman in closer and began to leave small marks on her neck. Tammy squirmed. 

"Baby..." Tammy moaned softly.

"Oh come on, wait til at least 12 to get a room," Amita teased. Tammy blushed and Nine hid her face in Tammy's neck. 

"Whatcha looking at Rose?" Tammy asked as she saw the older woman staring off into the distance.

"I think we found our lovebirds," Rose mumbled. The rest of the group's eyes found what Rose was looking at. The path of empty space between the crowded dance floor lead right to the two women. The blonde was jumping all around with her hands up and head bouncing to the music while the brunette was half bent over with her hands on her knees. 

"Oh my god is that Deborah Ocean grinding up on Lou," Tammy gasped. The other ladies mouth's gaped open as they saw the two. The pair were too preoccupied to notice the gawking eyes until Deb looked up and saw them all. She immediately stood up and buried herself in Lou's arms. Lou's face was thoroughly confused when her lover's demeanor changed. She looked up and saw the other eyes. She rolled her eyes and held Deb close. The other ladies made their way over to the couple and began to dance with them. Their night was just about to begin.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I'm so sorry for the late update, a lot of things have gone down this week and I've injured my thumb, which makes typing take 10x longer. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. I promise California and more on Danny will be coming soon. Thanks for sticking with me and this story. It means the world. Have a great night/day whenever you're reading this.
> 
> xoxo


	22. 3....2...1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of New Year's Eve

Debbie was still too embarrassed to look any of her entourage in the face. She couldn't believe had done that, let alone been caught doing that. Lou just held her close and swayed with her to the rhythm of the music. Every once and a while Deb would look up into her lover's eyes and Lou would simply smile back.

 

"It's almost midnight!" Constance yelled. The rest of the ladies looked up at the clock and it was already 11:45 pm.

"I'm going to get us all drinks! Meet at the V.I.P Booth" Lou yelled. The group nodded. Lou took Deb's hand as she lead her through the crowd. The bar was crowded but everyone moved out of the way for Lou. The bartender grabbed the bottle of Laurent-Perrier champagne that had been sitting in the back on ice for the last few hours and 10 glasses. Deb grabbed the glasses while Lou took the bottle. She hid the name on it from Deb as she wanted to surprise her. They carefully made their way back to the group. Deb set the glasses down on their small table and Lou put the bottle back on ice.

"Come on, let's go back and steal a few more dances before midnight!" Amita yelled over the music. The group agreed and made their way back to the dance floor. They were toward the front where they could see Steve Aoki but far enough away so that they could hear each other without screaming too loud. The party was crowded enough, but not too packed where it was uncomfortable. Celebrities would fade in and out of their dance circle and every once and a while a fan could be heard banging on the side of the building.

Amita and Harry danced the night away as if no one was watching, which included Lou. Harry's hands were all over Amita's dress and were always ready to push someone else off if they got to close. Their eyes had been locked on each other all night and their lips had come close to crashing once or twice. The obvious attraction toward each other could be felt by everyone around them. It made everyone else want to snuggle a little closer to their loved one just so they could compete with how cute they were together.

Amita hadn't felt this way in a long time. She honestly didn't know if she had ever felt this way for someone. All throughout her middle school and high school years she wasn't interested in anyone. All her friends would talk about guys and she had no interest in them. She thought she was a lesbian for a while there, but she didn't find any girls that attractive either. She didn't quite understand it. She found people attractive like she appreciated that they took care of their bodies and that they had nice cheekbones or nice abs but she didn't feel anything romantic or sexual toward them. The only thing she could compare this feeling to that she had with Harry was her best friend, Ari. They had a deep emotional connection which linked them together. While she never truly had any sexual feelings for him but she could see herself settling down with him, maybe having a child or two to please his family and hers. But with Harry, nothing was forced. She felt lust for him in a way she had never before and she felt a deep connection. They had spent the last week unraveling each other's lives.

Rose and Daphne joined the happy couple and began to dance as if there wasn't a care in the world. It helped that Rose was pretty drunk and her anxiety stayed away when alcohol flowed through her bloodstream. She used to drown her failures in alcohol, but now it gave her a new power which she didn't abuse. Now it was like liquid courage whenever it entered her system. It never used to affect her like this, but Daphne changed everything. After the romantic gesture, she had given Daphne, their relationship had stayed surprisingly the same. She suspected that Daphne would go on this baby craze or she'd run wild with wedding ideas, but she hadn't. She had left it alone and only talked about it whenever Rose had mentioned it first. Rose felt remarkably calm after the whole thing unfolded. She felt that it was right and that she was making the right decision. She wasn't going to be alone in this process, she had the love of her life and 6 of the best people surrounding her to help when her inner demons decided to try and take a hold of her.

Constance had found this cute little thing who was dancing up all on her. Constance held her close and let the rhythm of the music dictate how their bodies moved. Their lips teased each other as they'd brush up against body parts when the music changed. Their eyes wandered and undressed each other. Constance never felt the need to define herself or what she did with others. She considered herself straight, but if the right girl came around or was giving her bedroom eyes, she wasn't going to say no. Since the heist, she'd hooked up with a few people here and there, but nothing was ever serious. More times than she'd like to acknowledge, Deb had caught her one night stands sneaking out of the loft.

Tammy and Nine danced if they were at a high school dance. Their bodies worked together like two gears, one movement by one of them caused the other to move with the same fluidity. If one went low, the other would follow. Their hands slipped up and dipped under clothing. Their lips would occasionally join their bodies in the dance. Their passion infected everyone who entered their ring of fire. They too had a blissful week full of nothing but sex and spending time with the kids. Wedding bells and plans weren't on the table and no pressure was felt by either of them to rush anything. The kids were adjusting well and preparing themselves for the big move. They had said goodbye to their father and grandparents. Tammy would allow them to see them as often as they wanted because they had done nothing wrong and it wasn't fair to punish them for something their son did. Plus, they were their only grandchildren, and Tammy wasn't going to be that heartless.

During the festivities, Nine had been working on the side for Deb for some time. She was the only one who was currently still involved in the case. It wasn't that Deb didn't trust the others, but she knew that Nine would be able to compartmentalize easier which would allow her to still enjoy the holidays while working on the job at hand. Danny was one hard man to track down and find, but there was one thing he never failed to check up on, and that was Tess. Tess was their only lead to Danny, the only evidence of his whereabouts since Deb had been locked up. He had been to her house over a dozen times in the last 6 years, but never for more than a day or two.

 

"AND WE'RE UNDER A MINUTE!" Ryan Seacrest announced over the multiple TV's that littered the walls. The group made their way to the V.I.P Booth and cuddled up with their dates. A man came by and poured the champagne in the glasses for them.

"Thanks Charlie," Lou mouthed and the boy nodded. The group took their glasses and raised them up.

"To Ocean's 8!" Constance yelled. Deb blushed as she heard the toast. While she had brought them all together, she also anticipated the possibility of them all dispersing after the whole ordeal. Women can form friendships easily and break them off just as quick. But this group bonded like girls on a 6th-grade camping trip. Relationships formed and families were created, and it was one of the most amazing things Deb had ever witnessed.

"To Ocean's 8!" The rest cheered. They all downed their glasses.

"10.....9.....8....7...6...5...4!!" the whole building yelled.

"3...2.....1" Deb whispered in her lover's ear.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!!!" the building erupted with cheering and the confetti cannon's shot off.

Tammy and Nine embraced and their lips locked, ringing in the New Year with a new meaning on family and love. Constance and her girl's lips collided and passionately explored each other as they had been holding back all night. Harry and Amita's lips also met for the first time. It was a slow curious kiss. Neither knew where this would end up, but they didn't care. At this moment, they were going to be ringing in the New Year together. Rose and Daphne's kiss was slow and sweet, it reminded them both that no matter how crazy everything else was around them that they would take everything on together and at their own pace.

Confetti, streamers, and glitter rained down heavily and the music was so loud it was almost deafening, but the two main stars of the event couldn't be bothered by all of it. It was as if time stopped the minute it turned midnight. They only saw each other, only heard each other, and only felt each other. Deb and Lou's eyes were locked in on the other's. Both of their pupils were dilated and the slight movement of their lips indicated that they were having their own conversation. Deb's head tilted down a bit but Lou's finger caught it and tilted it back up. The blonde woman closed the gap between in them and their lips barely touched before it turned into a frenzy. Deb tilted her head and kissed back so deeply. Lou took a fist full of Deb's dress and their bodies had no space between them besides the fabric that clung to each of them. Their tongues though did most of the talking. Lou broke their kiss as her head began to feel light due to the lack of air.

"Happy New Year's baby," Debbie mumbled against her lover's jawline.

"Happy New Year," Lou whispered next to her ear.

The group reorganized and went out for one more dance together before going their own separate ways. Daphne and Rose went back to their apartment and Harry and Amita went back to Harry's hotel. Constance stayed behind to continue the night with her girl and Tammy and Nine decided to burn it down on the dance floor. Lou's eyes told Deb everything she needed to know about what was going to be happening the rest of the night. Deb followed her lover back to her office and the minute she closed the door, she was being pinned up against it.

"Oh Lou..." Deb moaned loudly. Lou growled and began to leave dark marks all over her lover's neck and chest. Deb squirmed as the pain and pleasure mixed to make the perfect cocktail. Lou reached behind her lover and slowly unzipped her dress. Deb let it slide off her body and kicked off her heels. Lou took off her leather jacket and threw it aside. She then pressed her body up against Deb's which prompted Deb to start unbuttoning Lou's jeans. As she reached into Lou's jeans she was met with a pleasant surprise.

"Oh Daddy..." Deb whimpered. She could feel Lou's shit-eating grin bearing down on her.

"Well, we needing to go out of 2018 with a bang didn't we?" Lou whispered huskily. Deb's lips curled into a smirk and her cheeks burned. Deb slipped off Lou's jeans and began to unbutton the few buttons left on Lou's shirt.

"God I love this color on you," Deb muttered. Lou laughed to herself as she replayed Constance's words in her head, "You mean wearing everything Deb likes to ensure she's gonna get laid at midnight?".

"What's so funny Daddy?" Debbie asked playfully.

"Hmm nothing," Lou whispered. She slipped out of her shirt and then lifted the brunette into her arms and carried her to the futon. She gently set the woman down.

"You know what to do," Lou growled. Deb's eyes grew with lust and excitement as she heard her lover get more demanding.

"Anything for you Daddy," Deb mewed. She got on her knees and placed her hands on the back of the futon. Her back arched down as she spread her legs. Lou pushed Deb's lace panties aside. The brunette's face burned up as she could feel Lou's hungry eyes looking at her like she was prey. Her pussy got wetter the longer the blonde stared. She was dripping down her thighs before the blonde ever made a movement. Lou stood behind her and let her strap-on loose. She began rubbing it in Deb's juices.

"Oh fuck," Deb moaned. She wiggled herself around trying to cause more friction than Lou was allowing. Lou responded with slapping her ass hard. Deb let out a primal moan that scratched her throat as it escaped her lips. Lou began to wet herself a bit as she heard that sound.

"So wet... I wonder for who?" Lou teased.

"Only you..." Deb whimpered. Lou smirked and slapped Deb's ass one last time.

"Damn right," Lou growled. Deb rolled her eyes playfully. She enjoyed being possessed be Lou. She would wear every mark she gave her proudly. She wanted the world to know she belonged to the most wonderful person ever and that she would never be anyone else's ever again. Lou slipped the tip inside Deb and held it there, tempting Deb to get greedy and take more than Lou was allowing her. Deb held off for as long as she could but her urges were too strong. She pushed herself back onto Lou which caused the strap-on to go fully inside her.

"Naughty girl," Lou hissed. Deb looked back at her lover with pleading eyes. While she was in the mood to get punished, she also really just wanted Lou. She wanted to feel her inside of her, feel her pressed against her body, feel her hot breath blowing on her skin. She needed that intimacy tonight. Lou began to move in and out which caused Deb to bury her face in the futon. Her moans were muffled by the fabric and the music that sent vibrations throughout the entire building.

"Daddy harder.." Deb demanded desperately. Lou nods and picks up her pace, but she also pushes herself in deeper with each thrust. The sound of their bodies colliding was almost as loud as the music that surrounded them. Deb's breath began to get more labored with each thrust. Her moans got deeper as Lou's dick went deeper inside her. The symphony of sounds would be enough to get anyone off, but Lou keeps herself under control.

Lou leaned forward and began to leave dark marks all over the brunette's back. Her teeth scraped marks on the woman's lower back. Deb's body dipped a bit deeper as the pain mixed with the pleasure that she was feeling in her core. Lou shook her head and placed a hand underneath her lover and lifted her up more. Debbie blushed a bit and gripped the futon back harder to keep herself steady. She could feel her body start to give out as her lover hit her spot over and over again.

Lou brushed her sweaty bangs out of her face and tucked them behind her ear as best she could. She also paused for a second to get her breathing all normalized again. When she heard the sweet whimpers escaping her lover's lips begging her to begin again, she gave in. She was always surprised by how well she could slide into Deb at any given moment. That woman was like a waterfall for her and it made her cup of confidence overflow. She knew how lucky she was to be able to unravel such a stoic beauty.

Deb truly only let Lou see her this way, desperate and begging to be controlled, punished and taken advantage of. With Claude, she was in control, even though he thought he was. He was rough with her, and physically had power over her. But he had no control over her primal urges. She never begged for him. She never desperately needed his dick buried in her depths or his nails leaving scars in her back. She could go without him, and often did. He'd be the one unable to control his urges.

"Lou I'm..." Deb gasped. Her body began to tremble as she inched closer to her climax. Lou smirked as her lover's breath became ragged and heavy. Lou then reached down and began to rub Deb's clit which caused her to pull moan from deep within her. Lou knew she was close and continued to plunge into Deb's depths while she flicked her clit.

"Daddy....!" Deb yelled out as her orgasm swept over her whole body. Her body trembled and her legs finally gave out. Lou followed her down and they both laid half on and half off the futon. The pressure of Lou's body on top of her's helped control her body and get her down of her high faster.

Once Deb's breathing was back under control Lou pulled out and lifted the woman and laid her on the couch. Deb pulled the strap-on off and pulled Lou on top of her.

"Hmm I wasn't done yet," Lou growled playfully.

"Oh I know, but I want you my way now," Deb smirked. Lou bit her lip in anticipation for what was going to come next. For whatever reason, Lou couldn't come up with a good one, Deb loved it when Lou sat on her face. It was one sure way to get Lou off, but it was more than that to Deb. Deb loved feeling Lou on all sides of her, loved only being able to taste and to smell Lou. That intimacy and that feeling of drowning in Lou was what she got off on. It's what she was addicted to.

"Shit Deb," Lou cussed as she felt her lover's tongue hit her clit.

"So wet for me," Deb teased. Lou scoffed playfully which immediately turned into a moan once Deb's tongue began to draw her famous figure 8's. Lou's legs were already quivering. Lou could hear Deb's small huff she did when she was proud of herself.

"Oh shut up," Lou whispered. Deb just shrugged and continued to lick Lou. Her hands wandered all over Lou's legs and up her stomach. She loved the way Lou's body felt against her fingertips and palms. She lapped at Lou's clit with pace and then dipped her tongue into Lou's core. She wanted to drink Lou's river. No one quenched her thirst like Lou did.

"Baby girl..." Lou moaned out as she felt Deb's tongue enter her. Deb stayed still, waiting for her lover to give in, which Lou didn't waste time doing. She began to rock herself on Deb's tongue which also caused Deb's nose to rub against her clit. Deb held Lou's legs as they became weaker as she grew closer to her climax. Deb licked feverishly inside Lou which was met with a mess of cuss words and moans to accompany the sound of her tongue lapping at Lou's river.

"I'm gonna.... Deb.. I-I" Lou cried out, but that didn't stop Deb. She buried her tongue deeper and the river now flowed down her chin to her neck and then stopped at her chest. Lou's breath hitched and her legs trembled. The blonde almost collapsed as the damn broke. The floodgates burst open and Deb couldn't drink fast enough. Lou was a moaning mess as Deb attempted to clean her up.

Once Deb was satisfied she turned over so that Lou could lay down. She laid herself on top of the blonde and buried her face in the crook of the woman's neck.

"That's one way to ring in the New Year," Deb mumbled. With the all the energy Lou had left, she managed to chuckle which caused Deb to grin from ear to ear.

"2019 is going to be our year.." Lou whispered breathlessly. Deb nodded and the two spent the rest of the night ringing in the New Year the only way they knew how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween lovelies (if you celebrate)!! I hope you are still enjoying this story.  
> Have a ghoulish night and stay safe my dears! 
> 
> And if you aren't reading this when I publish this, I hope you are having a great/night day whenever you're reading this. I appreciate you all!  
> xoxo


	23. Missed Calls

The bliss of the holidays blew over as fast as a January flew by the woman in a flash. Rose just had her 51st birthday which was spent celebrating out at a Broadway musical. Rose didn't want anything special due to the fact that they just had Christmas. Plus they were about to move and it made no sense to buy her material things that she'd just have to move later. 

Though Daphne had made it a point to make that one of the best days ever in her own special way. Unknown to anyone else, Daphne had asked for a small part in the play just for that showing. Rose absolutely loved to watch Daphne in her element of acting. She loved the way Daphne's whole persona changed, and how passionate she was about the subject. While Rose had no experience in that line of work, she loved seeing her lover flourish and be involved with something that made the younger woman's brown eyes twinkle as bright as they did when she was on a stage or behind a camera. Rose knew directing was something Daphne had always wanted to try out but it didn't complete her like acting did. 

After the performance, the rest of the women congratulated Daphne and then they all went out for drinks. An hour had passed and almost all of them were drunk of their asses. Tammy and Amita stayed semi-sober, enough to drive the rest of them home. 

"So, Rose, you ready for a little you?" Constance said as she stumbled to the table they were sitting at. Harold picked up the small woman and helped her sit in a chair. 

"Yeah, I think so," Rose said smiling. She took another shot of tequila and wiped her lips. "As long as I got you bitches, I know this kid will be set for life," she continued and pointed at each of the other women. The rest of the group laughed. 

"Always," Tammy smiled. 

"Boy or girl?" Lou asked. 

"Hmm what do you want darling," Rose said as she turned to face her lover. 

"Despite how much estrogen is already in this group, I think I'd like to have another little princess running around," Daphne beamed. Rose took Daphne's hand and raised another shot. 

"Damn, Keri's gonna be jealous as shit," Nine laughed. 

"She'll understand," Tammy said reassuringly. The group all nodded and took in this moment. They were making progress in their own personal lives, but also together as a unit. They had 2 more months until they moved, and the Danny situation was being kept closely under wraps by Deb and Nine, so none of the other's had in on their radars. 

"To the future," Rose cheered. 

"To the future," the rest cheered. They all clinked glasses before downing another shot. The rest of the night was a blur for most of the crew, but Amita was sure to take as many pictures as she could until Harold took her phone away. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was now February 1st and the weather was beginning to lighten up. The club had officially changed hands to Lou's bartender Lexie. Lou still owned it, but Lexie would manage it and run it as she would. The two sat in the office, Lou at her desk and Lexie on her desk. 

"You sure you want to do this?" Lexie asked.

"Yeah, I need to get out of here, and you're the only one I trust with this place. You've been there since the beginning," Lou said. 

"Wow, thank you so much. I don't know what to say," Lexie whispered.  

"Just promise you'll update me weekly and run budget stuff with me and etc," Lou shrugged as she flipped through the accounts book. 

"Of course, it's still your club," Lexie nodded. 

"Thanks kiddo," Lou smiled, stood up and kissed the doe-eyed girl on the forehead. If Lexie hadn't have been sitting down she would have melted into a puddle.

 She and Lou spent the next few hours pouring over the books, going over security details, budget, and maintenance things. They had made their way over to the couch when Rosa, another one of the girls, brought up their take-out Chinese food Lou ordered once they had finished going over the security details. 

"Where are you going if you don't mind me asking?" Lexie asked with a mouthful of chicken chow-mein. 

"Oh, California," Lou said after she swallowed her food. 

"Nice! I've always wanted to go there," Lexie beamed. 

"Yeah, me too," Lou said. 

"Wait, you've never been there but you're moving there?" Lexie tilted her head. 

"Yeah, kind of silly I know, but I got a plan," Lou shrugged. Lexie nodded and they continued to eat their food in silence. Once they were finished they began to go over the budget and maintenance requirements and other basic things. Lexie and Lou had gradually gotten closer to each other as the night went on. By this point, they were sitting close on the couch, thighs touching, and Lexie's body leaning into Lou. If they were to both lift their heads up from the books, they'd be sure to kiss. Lou felt nothing being this close to her, but Lexie was burning up inside. 

********

Lou had found the young girl at a club outside of Brooklyn 4 years ago. Lou was scouting out places to set up shop, and she stopped at this new bar to get some ideas. She walked into the place softly, careful not to raise any suspicions that she was scoping out the place rather than being just another patron. Once she found the bar, she was met by a young Hispanic girl, no more than 21. 

"What can I get you ma'am," the girl asked as she poured some Patron into a shot glass. 

"Oh please don't call me that, it makes me feel so old," Lou laughed. 

"Alright then, what can I get you..." the girl trailed off.

"Lou," the blonde filled in the blank. 

"Lou, I like that name," the girl smiled. 

"Thanks, and uh can I get a whiskey and Coke?" Lou asked. 

"Sure thing," the girl winked and grabbed a glass and poured Jack Daniels into it with some Coke. She handed Lou the drink and went off to help the other customers. Lou found the young girl attractive, but she pushed aside those feelings as she was trying to get intel for herself, but also she wasn't sure she wanted another one night stand. What she truly wanted was locked up in a state prison and probably hated her guts right about now. 

As the night progressed Lou got everything she needed from the place, she learned their layout, schedule, security, bar, and system pretty well. She figured out that they watered down their alcohol after so many drinks for a person or group. She watched the other bartenders take tabs on certain people and adjust the drinks accordingly, not because they wanted to sober them up, but to make more money without spending more of their own money. It was smart, and she'd use it. Before she left though she caught the sound of the girl's voice in distress. She made her way over to the bar to find her arguing with a very drunk man about 50. 

"Hey listen bitch, I know what you're doing, and I'm gonna report you," the man yelled. 

"Hey don't you talk to her like that," Lou stepped in. 

"This isn't about you, dyke, get lost," the man scoffed and turned back his attention toward the young bartender. Lou grabbed his arm and turned his focus back on her. 

"I said leave her alone," Lou said harshly. Two security guards finally showed up and escorted the man away. 

"Hey... thanks for that by the way," the young bartender whispered. 

"Don't mention it," Lou shrugged. 

"I'm Lexie by the way," the girl said as she offered her hand. Lou shook it and smiled. 

"I like that name too," Lou winked. The girl's face turned bright red and she bit her lip. Lou just smiled. She knew she could have anyone, she knew she probably could have this girl. It was just a matter of if she wanted it. 

"Hey, want to get out of here?" Lou asked. The girl grabbed her things and slipped out of the bar faster than Lou could register it. They both walked out of the club and started making their way toward the subway. 

"You get that kind of shit often?" Lou asked as they waited for the train. 

"Oh yeah, but it's no big deal," Lexie shrugged. Lou could see it in the young girl's eyes that it did, in fact, bother her. 

"I'm thinking of starting my own place, I need a bartender and I think you'd be great," Lou casually mentioned. 

"Oh uh, wow, I don't know I've had this job for like 2 years. I don't know if I could just leave them like that," Lexie stumbled. 

"I promise you'd never have to deal with men like that again, or at least for that long," Lou said. 

"You mean it?" Lexie asked hopefully. 

"Yeah, I don't tolerate that kind of shit," Lou said. 

"Okay yeah, sure, once you get your club set up, I'm your girl," Lexie beamed. She then blushed brightly as she realized what she had said. Lou just smiled and kissed the girl on the forehead, which caused Lexie to blush even more.

********

Lou placed her hand on Lexie's thigh and rubbed her thumb softly against the young girl's jeans. Lexie bit her lip as she felt herself becoming more and more restless. Lou was oblivious to how much power she had over the girl, but she could tell that there was some friction in the air. They never consummated their relationship, nor did they ever really had a relationship. They just danced around the topic because, after Deb, Lou wasn't going to mix business and pleasure again. 

Lou had never told any of her crew about Deborah, or much about her past at all. They all just had their assumptions and figured she'd come over from Australia for a better life. Which was in some ways true. Lou had come over for a better life, but she never saw that better life revolving around someone, let alone a woman like Deb. Never the less, it was a better life, and she had the chance to do it all over again, she wouldn't change a thing. Except maybe making sure Deb never went to jail. But it was too late for that now. It was also too late for her to mention Deb. 

Lou looked up for a second and Lexie followed shortly after. Their foreheads brushed against each other and their noses almost touched. The electricity in the room was heating up and the tension would have had to be cut with a chainsaw to get through it. Lexie slowly tilted her head to allow Lou better access but Lou shot up as she heard the sound of something hitting the floor. Roses on the floor and the back of a white coat were all Lou could see as she looked up. 

"Excuse me," Lou muttered and ran after the coat. She looked around to see if she could see who it was but all she could hear where the click of heels against the concrete floor. 

"Deb?!" Lou called out. But there was no response. She ran down the stairs and pushed her way through the crowded club as she saw the white coat slipping through the door. When she herself got outside it was too late. The steam from the storm drains rose up and blew around her, the sounds of cars honking and the neon lights flashed in her eyes. It was like one of those scenes in a cheesy rom-com.  

She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and sighed. She couldn't believe this was happening, after everything they had both just gone through. That girl was nothing compared to Deb, but she brought it onto herself. She had no excuse for not mentioning Deb after all this time. She reached into her pocket for her phone and found she had 6 missed calls and 14 unread text messages from Deb, 3 unread text messages from Constance and 9 from Tammy. 

"Fucking hell," Lou sighed. **_What in the fuck did I miss this time?_  **Lou thought to herself. All she knew was that she was going to be in some deep shit when she got home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it looks like I'm now updating about once a week, rather than once a day or once every two days. I am so sorry for the delay, school is getting hectic and my home life hasn't improved. I hope you are all still interested, I do have great plans for this story. All your comments and kudos mean the world. Have a wonderful night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> Xoxo


	24. Oh Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Deb's day leading up to finding Lou with Lexie.

Lou had just left to go talk to her new business partner about the club which left Debbie all alone in the loft. She was used to it by now, given everyone was extremely busy trying to get everything ready for the move. Today though just seemed off. Her morning routine was off by 10 minutes which made her feel gross. Someone had used all the coffee and forget to replace it, or leave a note saying they were out. She got distracted by joggers running by, which was unusual given their place wasn't near anything, and burnt her eggs. Deb was already fed up with today and it was only 8 am.

She finally decided to settle down in her office after her fiasco in the kitchen and read some more books on pregnancy. She was older, 40 to be exact. Her birthday was August 8, 1978. 8 had always been a special number to her because of this, which was a huge part of her plan of using the people she did. She kind of knew Daphne would have to get involved somehow, so it was perfect. They'd have 8. She looked over at the picture of the group that Harry took on New Year's and smiled. Everything was going according to plan. She had everything she ever wanted. She then looked at the manila envelope that she kept at her desk. She sighed as she realized she didn't quite have everything. She was still missing Danny.

She pushed her books out of the way and opened her laptop. She began doing more research on her brother. Nine had set her up with a quick lesson on tracking and hacking into easy places. She went over all the stuff Nine had uncovered about his contact with Tess. After the last heist, Danny and Tess tried to live a civilian lifestyle. Something Tess, like their mother, had always wanted for them. But Danny being an Ocean could never settle. While they never got remarried, they stayed together throughout the entire time.

*buzz buzz*

Deb looked down at her phone and it was a text from Rusty.

RR -> Deb: *We need to meet, Katie's in 30.* Deb texted back.

Deb -> RR: *See you there.* The little whoosh echoed as she sent it. Rusty read the message but left it at that. She didn't get a good feeling about this. She grabbed the manila envelope before heading out of the office and to her and Lou's bedroom. She changed into a pair of light wash jeans, a grey turtleneck, and some black boots. She then grabbed one of Lou's warmer scarves and then grabbed a pair of gloves. She walked out of the loft and down to Katie's.

When she arrived she was met by not only Rusty but Tess too. Tess though was accompanied by someone she had never met before. A pair of dark brown eyes met hers and a smile ran across that person's face that made her heart skip a beat. Her breath escaped her as she realized whose smile that was. It was Danny's smile but on a boy who looked to be about 15 months old. Danny had a child with Tess, which meant those brown eyes and the smile belonged to her nephew.

"Hey Deb," Tess said softly.

"Is that?" Deb asked softly, still not able to find her breath.

"Yes, this is Daniel Jr.," Tess smiled as she looked at her son. Deb couldn't believe it. She had missed the birth of her nephew.

"Come on it's getting cold out here, we can catch up inside," Rusty said. The women both nodded and went inside after Rusty opened the door. Derek closed the shop down so that they could talk in private. Derek didn't know everything that went on in the family but he was close enough to them to know when to get out and when to stay. Before Derek left though, he made them all breakfast and put out a tray of their favorite doughnuts.

"So how did it happen?" Deb asked before she took a bite of her eggs.

"He was on some recognizance mission. He and the boys were planning to swindle some money out of Bitcoin," Tess began. Deb tilted her head when she heard the word bitcoin. Tess blushed slightly as she had forgotten Deb had been locked up for 6 years.

"It's an online currency, it wasn't very lucrative until recently and of course the boys wanted their cut," Tess continued. She shot a look at Rusty as she said "the boys". Rusty put his hands up and gave her that "not me" look.

"Okay and then what?" Deb asked before taking another bite.

"Well he came home, everything was normal and then he got a text on his phone and everything changed. He started packing for not only himself but for us too. DJ was only about 2 months old when this whole ordeal happened. I kept trying to ask him what was wrong but he just kept saying we had to go. He moved DJ and me to a new house out in Boston, and he said he'd have to go away for a while. I begged him to stay and that we could fight this together but it was no use.

********

"Danny come on, please stay. I can't raise him on my own," Tess yelled. Danny ignored her and began unpacking boxes.

"Daniel Robert Ocean, listen to me goddamnit. Your son needs his father!" Tess yelled again. Danny stopped and sighed.

"Tess please, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have to. Do you honestly think I want to go on the run and be away from you and him? You both are the best things that ever happened to me, and I cannot lose you. Please, I have to do this," Danny begged. Tess sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She knew Danny would do anything to protect her, and now that DJ was in the picture, he would go to even farther lengths to keep them safe. He loved his son more than he ever thought he could love something or someone. His whole world changed when he found out Tess was pregnant, and even more so when he found out it was a boy.

"When will you be home?" Tess asked softly.

"I don't know, I don't know if I can ever come home," Danny said quickly and quietly hoping Tess didn't really hear that last part.

"What!? You don't know if you'll ever be home?!" Tess yelled. Her face was bright red and her breathing was getting heavy.

"Tess please, he's sleeping," Danny hushed.

"Don't you try and calm me down, Daniel. What do you mean?" Tess yelled again.

"I can't tell you, I can't put you in any more of harm's way. Just, promise me, if I don't come home after a year, declare me dead," Danny whispered.

"Declare you dead?!" Tess gasped. Her eyes started to fill with tears at the thought of having to bury Danny. She shook her head and continued, "I won't do it."

"Baby please, please do as I say," Danny begged. Danny looked into her eyes and her heart sank. She had very rarely seen that look on Danny's face, let alone, the deep sadness and fear that radiated from Danny's eyes. She covered her mouth as tears fell down her cheek. She knew then that this was real, and that they were in extreme danger. She looked out of the room and down the hall toward DJ's bedroom. She didn't want him to grow up without his father. Plus, she didn't think she could raise DJ alone. While she had always wanted to be a mother, she found herself asking Danny for help more often than not. He always got him to calm down or fall asleep. Danny was the expert when it came to their son, which shouldn't have been all that surprising given they were both Ocean's through and through. Another thing was that she didn't want to be alone again. They had been apart for too long already and they were just starting to get their lives on track. Everything was crashing around Tess and all she could do to hold onto whatever her and Danny had left was to do as he said.

"Alright, one year," Tess whispered. Danny nodded and pulled Tess into his embrace. She cried softly into him as he held her. They spent the rest of the day with DJ, and their last night together making love as if it was going to be their last time.

********

"I did what he said to do, after a year, I declared him dead, had a funeral and everything. I followed his instructions about how to get a body and etc. And now we're here," Tess said as she finished the last of her breakfast. DJ was getting fussy and trying to escape her arms.

"Here let me," Deb offered. Tess nodded and handed DJ to Deb. Deb held the boy in a way that he faced her. She studied every single feature on his face. She smiled when she realized he was definitely an Ocean through and through. The only thing that resembled Tess was his ears. The rest was all Danny. She bounced him on her lap and held him close. He cooed and babbled playfully. She would have turned into a puddle if she wasn't who she was.

"Rusty says you got something from Danny," Tess continued.

"Well Linus actually did," Rusty interjected. Tess looked at Rusty and tilted her head.

"Linus got postcards, all addressed to him, but all for different people. One for him, one for me, one for Deb, one for Tammy and one for Lou," Rusty explained.

"But on Christmas, I got a package. Inside was a hit for Danny worth $150,000,000. It wasn't a prank either. That was a legit hit and with that specific amount, I'm guessing it has something to do with Benedict," Deb said. Tess shook her head. She thought that was all over after the gang had paid him back with the sting they did in Europe.

"Why him?" Tess muttered.

"He's probably extremely jealous of DJ," Deb whispered. DJ cooed as he heard his name which caused 43 of Deb's face muscles to smile. Tess smiled at the two of them but it quickly faded as the though to Terry loomed over her. He had lost, he chose Danny and they had paid him back. It should have been over.

"She had a point," Rusty added. They all sighed. They knew what they were up against, and it wasn't going to be easy. Benedict was part of the Italian mob, and the Ocean family had crossed paths with a few other crime families more than once. With the motivation and brains of Bendecit backed by the mob, Danny was right to be scared and head underground. Terry wouldn't hurt Tess, and he certainly wouldn't hurt a baby.

"I heard you and your group are moving to California," Tess said finally cutting the silence.

"Yeah, Lou and I uhh finally figured out shit out," Deb laughed a bit and positioned her hand around DJ so that her ring showed.

"Oh my God, Debbie that's so beautiful! Oh, I am so happy for you two," Tess beamed. The two women laughed as they both thought back to their younger days. Tess had met Lou at a family dinner. Tess and Danny had known each other since high school but didn't really start dating until after. Tess went off to college and Danny, of course, had to stay in the family business. They both branched away from the family once Deb entered college. During the Thanksgiving of Debbie's freshman year of college, they were introduced to Lou, and from that moment on, they both knew that Lou and her would end up together.

"How's Tam-Tam?" Tess asked.

"She's good, 3 kids, husband cheated on her but she has a new woman in her life," Deb smiled. Tess nodded. She always liked Tammy. She had watched the two group up right before her eyes. Danny was 6 years older than Deb, so when he was in high school, she was still in elementary.

"Well, how about we move out there with you guys? I don't mean in the same house or anything but around you. I'd like DJ to be near family, and plus if it does have anything to do with Terry, it'd be best if we were closer to Las Vegas. I know the mob is out based out here, but I'd rather deal with Terry than the whole Italian mob," Tess said. Rusty and Deb looked at each other and then nodded. They both agreed they'd rather deal with Terry, and it would be nice for her and Tess to be closer. Afterall they were the only family they really had left, and Deb couldn't say no to an opportunity to spend more time with DJ.

"Sounds like a great plan, I'll let the others know. Maybe you and DJ can swing by later tonight and meet them," Deb smiled.

"I'd love that, I'm sure DJ would too," Tess beamed.

"It's settled then, how about 6? You can have dinner and relax. There are 8 other mom's to watch the little man," Deb smiled and cooed at DJ. DJ giggled and blew a bubble.

"Sounds good, I'll see you then. Rusty can direct me there," Tess said. They all got up and cleaned off their table and wrote a thank you note for Derek. Tess took DJ back and they all exited the shop.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey guys, so Danny's wife is coming over with their son later, we need to go over some things about California and our plan to help Danny," Deb said to the group. She had called them right after the meeting with Tess and Rusty and they all agreed to meet her at 4 which was only 2 hours away. The only person who didn't answer was Lou. She had called 3 times and left 5 text messages over that span of 2 hours but there was no response. She was hurt, but she also knew Lou was super busy with work and maybe had left her phone in her office.

Once the women had arrived, Deb explained everything that happened during that meeting and even exposed a little bit of her, Danny and Tess's past.

"Wait, Danny and Tess have a kid?" Tammy asked.

"Yup, Mr Daniel Robert Ocean Jr." Deb smiled.

"Oh my god! That's so exciting, how old is he?" Tammy squealed. Tammy had also really liked Tess. The three girls were super close and had remained that way over the years until Deb went to jail.

"He's 15 months so, him and Lucas will be best friends," Deb said. Tammy smiled and held Lucas close to her. Nine tilted her head a little and Tammy gave her that "I'll explain later look". Nine wasn't jealous or anything, she was just extremely curious how she knew Tess and Danny and how far her and Deb's past really went.

"When are they coming?" Constance asked.

"6, so we have 2 hours to cook and get out any concerns or worries we may have," Deb said.

"I just have one question... How do we know she's legit like she's not in on this? I mean, I don't really know their history, but I do remember you bringing up that they were at some point divorced and she dated this Benedict dude," Daphne voiced.

"She wouldn't be in on it, she never wanted to be part of the crime life, it just happened once she met Danny. Plus she'd never put that boy at risk. She, like a lot of the people who date the Ocean's just want a simple life," Tammy said sharply. Daphne nodded and backed off after realizing pain in her voice. Deb felt that jab more than anything, but she kept it to herself.

"Alright well, what else do we know about this Benedict guy?" Rose asked.

"Grew up in a tight night Italian family. 5 siblings. 2 of which are dead, 2 are in prison on murder charges and one is a high ranking mob guy. First one in his family to "break away" from the crime life and start his own business. He invested in casinos and moved his way up into what he is now which is an owner of 3. Got robbed by Danny, got paid by Danny and now is out to kill Danny. He's the one that ordered the hit," Nine said without looking up from her computer.

"I thought you said that was just a joke?" Amita hesitated.

"I lied, I didn't want to ruin your guys' Christmas, so I had Nine look into it after," Deb said reluctantly. Tammy shot Nine a look in which Nine dodged but patted Tammy on her knee. They had some serious talking to do after this was over.

*knock knock*

Harold got up and went to the door. While he wasn't going to be in on any of their crime-fighting life, he was going to stick around for Lou's sake, but also for Amita. He loved her and he loved his sister and if they were going to be wrapped up into this world, he was going to have to get used to it. He, like Tess, just wanted a simple life. But for some reason, anyone who knew the Ocean's personally, somehow got that taken from them.

He looked through the peephole and then opened the door.

"Welcome," Harry said.

"Thank you," Tess said. Her, DJ and Rusty all walked through the door and made their way over to the living room where the other women were. Deb stood up and hugged Tess.

"Everyone this is Tess and DJ. Tess this is Constance, Rose Weil, Daphne Kluger, and Nine Ball," Deb said. The women all waived as their names were called and smiled at the woman. Deb continued, "You already know Tammy, Amita, and Harold." Tammy got up and hugged Tess too and introduced Lucas to DJ.

Once they returned Tess asked, "Where's Lou?"

"At her club, she uhh decided to own one after the whole fiasco," Deb said. Tess raised her eyebrow but could tell that was a conversation for a different time. Tammy looked down at her phone and messaged Lou again. She had already messaged her 4 times, but there was still no answer. Deb looked down at her phone and messaged Lou 2 more times.

"Well let's eat before everything gets cold, we can discuss stuff later," Amita said. The women all nodded and headed for the kitchen while Nine and Tammy went off to get Keri and Derek so they could eat.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once dinner was done and the kids were put up, the women all began telling Tess about their individual plans and a little about themselves. They also asked her plenty of questions about what Deb, Lou, and Tammy were like back in the day. Deb and Tammy kept giving Tess looks and the other women every time they asked about an embarrassing story. Tess just laughed and smiled. She enjoyed this little family that Deb had created. She was proud of her. Even though she always knew Deb would find her way, she never really saw this coming. But she was happy for her, and she knew Danny would be proud too.

Deb stepped away from the group a few times to call Lou again, but both times they went to voicemail. Deb was getting more and more frustrated and Tammy could tell. She tried to text Lou again herself but she still got no answer. There wasn't even a "read" sign up. The night flew by as stories and drinks were being shared. It was now almost 10 and there was still no sign of Lou.

"Excuse me, I need to step out for a few. I'll be back soon. Make yourself at home Tess," Deb said.

"Yeah you can sleep in my room if you want, I prefer the couch," Constance said.

"DJ and Lucas can share the crib tonight," Tammy said. Tess smiled and said thank you. The rest of the women split up as Deb was getting ready to head out the door. Once Deb had left, Constance pulled out her phone and texted Lou.

Conman -> Mom: *Where are you?*

Conman -> Mom: *You better have a really good excuse not replying to anyone tonight*

Conman -> Mom: *Deb's gonna kill you*

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the way to the club, Deb had stopped at a corner to pick up some roses for Lou. While she was mad at her for not responding all day and missing out on this meeting, she understood. Lou was just trying to get everything in order for them to move to California, but that didn't stop her from worrying or missing Lou. She had asked Nine Ball before she left to track her phone via GPS. It said it was at the club and it had been all day, which made Deb feel a little better. She called Lou one last time just to make sure, but there was still no answer.

When she entered the club it was packed, it was a Friday night after all. She slipped her way through the crowd and did her best not to get her white coat, the one she wore to confront Claude, dirty. She loved the way it flowed, almost like a cape behind her. She walked up the stairs toward Lou's office. She smiled as she approached because she could hear Lou talking. She paused for a second before opening the door and what she found shook her to her core. Lou's face was inches away from Lexie's, their bodies close and Lou's hand on her thigh. She threw the flowers onto the floor and rushed down the stairs holding her breath. She didn't even look back to see if Lou had noticed her or not. All she knew was she had to get out of there.

She heard her name being called out from above but she didn't stop. She flowed through the crowd smoothly and slipped out the door. When the fresh air hit her, she finally exhaled into a coughing fit. She felt her lungs collapsing and her heart breaking into little pieces and landing in the pit of her stomach. She began to run as she realized Lou was probably right on her trail.

Lou opened her phone and read through all the text messages.

"Fucking hell Tess? A baby? Terry Benedict?" Lou said aloud. She had missed a lot. She missed everything. Tess was a parent. Daniel was a Dad. Wait, that meant Debbie was an aunt and she would be too. No, she wouldn't be if she didn't find Deb and explain what the fuck just happened. She dialed Deb's number and called it but she was immediately directed to voicemail. She went to the back and immediately sped home on her bike. When she pulled into the garage, she was met by a very angry Tammy. The blonde's arms were crossed and if looks could kill, Lou would be on the floor. Oh shit Lou thought.

"Where the fuck were you Louise Miller?!" Tammy yelled.

Lou pulled off her helmet and replied, "I was at the club like I said, I'm sorry I left my phone on silent. I didn't realize the world would fall apart while I was gone."

"And what the fuck were you doing with Lexie?!" Tammy yelled even louder.

"How did you?" Lou began to ask but she knew that was a stupid question the minute Tammy pulled out her phone and showed her a picture of the two in that position.

"It's not what you think," Lou sighed.

"Oh yeah, well good luck convincing Deb that because she's gone and she wants you to have this back," Tammy said harshly and placed the ring into Lou's hand. Lou's heart sunk as she felt the small item of jewelry being forced into her hand.

"When did she?" Lou began to question.

"10 minutes ago," a familiar voice said. Lou looked up from her hand and Tess was standing in the doorway leading into the house. Lou half smiled at Tess and Tess did the same.

"She was just finishing telling me how you guys had worked your shit out," Tess trailed off. Lou sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"How did I fuck this up twice?" Lou's voiced cracked. The two women walked toward her and caught her as she broke down. February had just started, but it was already the worst month of the new year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> California was only a month away. How could Lou have been so stupid. Will she be able to fix her mistakes this time or will it be too late? What will happen with Tess and DJ? There are so many questions! Lol. Again thank you all for sticking with me and this story. I hope you are enjoying it. Each reader means so much to me. Your kudos and comments keep me going. I hope you're having a great night/day whenever you're reading this. 
> 
> xoxo


	25. 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Constance's birthday, will the two come together for the sake of their 'daughter' or is there still too many open wounds?

"Wait Debbie!" Tammy yelled after the brunette. Debbie was halfway to the door before she stopped and turned around. She had one duffle bag full of her clothes and a few other mementos in each hand and tears running down her face.

"Why Tammy? You saw the picture. There is no other explanation other than that she's cheating on me..." Deb's voice cracked.

"Why would she cheat on you? She loves you for god's sake. She has loved you since the moment you entered her life. She would give you her last breath if you asked for it. I know that picture doesn't point to much else, but you should give her the chance to explain," Tammy said.

"No. I don't want to see her," Deb said sharply.

"Please, she wouldn't just throw California away. Not after everything you've both been through to get here," Tammy pleaded. Deb wiped her eyes on her sleeve and shook her head.

"Debbie, please. She was a wreck after you left her for Claude... she was even more of a wreck when you got locked up. She cried in my arms for months on end. All she ever talked about was losing the best thing she ever had. She regretted every fight, every stupid thing you disagreed on. All she's ever wanted with you is a happily ever after. She came here for a better life, and she gave up on that dream the minute you met at the bar. She was so captured by you, and she knew no life would be better than one with you.." Tammy said softly.

"She's right," a voice said softly. Both women looked over in the direction in which the voice came from. Tess was standing against the door which led to the garage.

"Debbie, I've never seen someone so in love before, or so loyal. Hell, I left Danny, but she never left you. I mean, technically she walked out that night, but she didn't do it because she didn't love you. She left because what you had said didn't really give her much choice," Tess continued.

The words hit Debbie like a ton of bricks. Her lungs fought against the weight of the world against her chest and her tears flowed like a steady stream no matter how many times she wiped them away.

" Do you remember that Thanksgiving I met her?" Tess asked. Deb nodded and closed her eyes.

********

*knock knock*

"I'll get it!" Deb smiled and ran to the door. When she opened it she was greeted by her second favorite person in the world, her brother, Danny.

"Deb!" Danny yelled and wrapped his little sister up in a bear hug. Deb laughed and hugged her brother back. After they broke their hug, Deb pulled Tess in for a hug.

"It's good to see you too little sis," Tess smiled. Deb rolled her eyes playfully. Tess had known Deb since she was 8 years old. They were practically sisters now, especially since Tess and Danny were together finally.

"Well come on in, I have someone I want you to meet," Deb said as she let go of Tess. Tess and Danny raised their eyebrows at the same time which caused Deb to giggle. They followed the brunette into the home.

"Hey son," Mr. Ocean said, "and hello Tess." Danny nodded and Tess smiled.

"Welcome home you two," Mrs. Ocean beamed. She pulled them in for a hug and kissed both of their cheeks.

"Hey ma," Danny smiled.

"Well come, come sit. Dinner is almost ready," Mrs. Ocean said. The two took their place across the table from Deb and a girl they had both never seen before. She had blonde hair like Tammy, but it was shorter and she had a more masculine energy that radiated from her. Her eyes were icy blue rather than dark brown and her lips curled into a small smile, rather than the big smile that Tammy always had on.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" Danny asked Deb. Deb blushed and took the other girl's hand in hers.

"Uhh, this is Lou. She's my girlfriend," Deb mumbled softly.

"Hi, I'm Danny, Deb's big brother, it's nice to meet you," Danny said as he reached out his hand. Lou took it and shook it firmly which got an approving nod from Danny.

"I'm Tess, Danny's now girlfriend and longtime best friend," Tess smiled and shook Lou's hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you two, she's talked a lot about you," Lou smiled.

"Oh has she now?" Danny smirked, "I hope she hasn't told you any lies, she's quite good at those."

"Oh Daniel, hush," Tess said as she put her hand over Danny's mouth. The family laughed and smiled at their antics.

"Alright, dinner's ready kids!" Mrs. Ocean called from the kitchen.

"Aren't we a little old to be kids Ma?" Danny asked as he got up and grabbed his plate.

"You'll never not be my kids Daniel, even when you're 50. That goes for you too Lou and Tess," Mrs. Ocean said as she kissed him on the cheek as he passed her to get to the food. Lou and Tess smiled at Mrs. Ocean and grabbed their food.

The whole night was filled with stories from Danny's and Deb's past which Lou and Tess thoroughly enjoyed, even though Tess was there for quite a few of them. While the night went on Tess and Danny watched Lou. They weren't suspicious of her, but they both had noticed how soft she was when she looked at Deb. They watched her pupils dilate every time Deb looked at her, they watched her cheeks turn red whenever Deb caught her starring, and they noticed how captured Lou was whenever Deb talked. They'd never seen anything like it, even with Tammy. While Deb was charming and had her way with people, no one was under her spell, like Lou was. And what surprised them, even more, was how Deb did the same thing with Lou. Every time Lou talked, Deb would stare at her as if nothing else mattered in the world. She'd blush every time Lou smiled and she'd giggle at anything Lou said. Deb hardly ever giggled. They both knew from that moment on that Lou was going to be apart of the family, and that she was meant for Deb and Deb was meant for her.

********

Tess wrapped her arms around Deb and kissed the top of her head. Deb pulled away and pulled herself together.

"I can't stay... please give this to her," Deb said as she took off her ring and handed it to Tess. She turned away and picked up her bags and walked out the door.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the next day, February 2nd, and both women had slept off the events that took place the day before. It was Constance's birthday and Deb had planned a grand party for her. While Constance was turning 27, the women had all agreed to give her a very cliche childlike birthday given Constance's history.

While everyone teased Constance about the whole calling Deb mom thing, Deb took her role very seriously. When Deb learned about her history, she decided to adopt the grown woman and give her everything she had missed out on. Because while Deb didn't have the most conventional childhood, she still had one and she hated that Constance's childhood was stripped like that.

Deb had texted the group, except Lou, to come over to her house in New Rochelle.

"I feel uncomfortable leaving her here.." Rose said softly. The girls, plus Rusty and Harry were sitting around in the living room getting ready while Lou was still upstairs passed out. Constance was already at the house, she had left once she had learned about what had happened and chased after Deb.

"But it's Constance's birthday and we can't just not show up because of their issues. That'd be unfair to Constance," Nine Ball said.

"She's right," Daphne said. The women nodded but let out a sigh knowing Lou would be extremely upset with them for leaving.

"I'll stay with her," Rusty chimed in.

"Thanks Rusty," Tammy said softly. The rest of the group started getting their stuff together, while Tammy and Nine gathered all the kids. Tammy, Nine and the kids including Roni all took one car and the rest took another.

"Do you think they'll work it out?" Daphne asked while looking at Tess and Harry who were seated up front.

"I'm not sure," Tess said softly.

"Despite all the shit they've put each other through, they've never had a cheating scandal before," Harold added.

"Well I hope they do," Rose mumbled.

"Us too," Harry and Tess said at the same time. The rest of the car ride was silent except for a few babbles and coos from DJ. The other car's mood was much more light as the children kept going on and on about the birthday party.

When they arrived, the house was decorated, balloons out front and a big banner with Constance's name on it hung over the window inside the porch. Derek and Keri were the first to enter the door to which they were greeted by a huge warm hug from their Aunt Deb.

"Hello my precious beans, how are you?" Deb asked as she embraced the two.

"Good!" Derek yelled. Deb smiled and let them go explore all the wonderful things she had set up. The group all slowly shuffled in and as each one passed over the threshold they gave Deb a hug.

"Guys it's not my birthday, it's Con's," Deb teased.

"Where is she by the way?" Amita asked.

"Oh upstairs, she hasn't been able to come down all day, but now that you're all here I'm sure it's time," Deb smiled.

"I'll go get her," Daphne said. Daphne ran up the stairs and walked to the door she suspected Constance to be in. While she didn't want to pry into Deb's life too much, she did carefully examine each photo that hung in the hall connecting all the bedrooms and bathrooms. She laughed to herself when she saw what was obviously Danny's door. She knocked gently on Deb's door and immediately the door flung open.

"HEY DAPH!" Constance yelled and pulled the taller woman in for a hug.

"Hey girl, come on it's party time," Daphne smiled. Constance nodded and they both came down the stairs. Once Constance reached the bottom set she was greeted by all her favorite people yelling, "Surprise!", well, almost all of her favorite people. But she wasn't going to let that get in the way of her having fun today.

"Awww thanks guys! I really appreciate it," Constance said. Each of the group took turns hugging the small woman, Derek and Keri attacked her with a huge hug, in which she hugged them back strongly. She loved those kids, they were like her siblings.

"Oh my God there's a bounce house! Last one there is a rotten egg!" Constance squealed as she ran out the back door. The kids followed shortly after and Amita, Harold, Nine, and Daphne all sprinted after them. Deb, Tammy, and Rose all sort of fast walked there. They stood outside while the others bounced. Screaming, giggles and pterodactyl noises came from the bounce house.

"You outdid yourself Ocean," Tammy said as she waived at her children.

"Well, couldn't be a proper child's birthday without one," Deb smiled.

"No, I mean in general Debbie. You pulled off one of the.." Tammy began to say.

"The greatest," Rose interrupted.

"Okay, the greatest heist New York has ever seen. You created a family out of a bunch of women who are nothing alike but have so much love and respect for one another, and you have a plan now to go to California with Lou and start a family. 15 years ago, if I had told you this was gonna happen you would have laughed in my face. But you did it, you created this. You have something really special," Tammy continued. Deb flinched when she heard Lou's name but all the other words seeped into her and hit the nerve which already knew what Tammy had said was true. She would have laughed in Tammy's face. She never believed she would have gotten this far. She didn't even know if she was going to make it out of jail, but here she was. A mother/leader figure to 7 women, an aunt to 4 beautiful children, and possibly about to be a mother in the next coming months.

"She's right you know. You pulled 7 women out from their own personal hell holes and gave them all something to believe in, a sense of purpose and a family in which they never had before. You've done something incredible Debbie, and I will forever be thankful for you. I think all of us will," Rose added. Debbie turned her head slightly so that the other women couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes or the stupid smile she was fighting so hard to control.

Once she gained her composure back, she turned to them and said, "Thank you, you all mean the world to me too."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou opened her eyes and immediately groaned out. Her head felt like it had been beaten with a sledgehammer. She reached over and almost knocked over a glass of water. She sat up and noticed that there were 2 Advil tablets, a glass of water and a note. She took the Advil and then the water before reading the note.

*Hey Lou,

We've all gone out to Constance's party... Deb doesn't want you to show up, so I would follow those directions. What happened last night, actually happened. I'm sorry. I love you and we should be back before you know it. Hope you slept alright. The ring is in the bathroom in your jewelry box.

xoxo Tam*

"Shit," Lou said aloud. She couldn't believe last night was real. She'd give anything to turn back the hands of time and redo yesterday. She grabbed the nearest shirt to her and slipped it on before walking into the bathroom. When she turned on the light she noticed all of Deb's stuff was gone except a few minor things. Danny's picture was gone, her jewelry box was gone, most of her make-up was gone, and Deb's small mementos were gone. She stood in front of the sink and stared at her own jewelry box. She was afraid to open it. If she found the ring in there it would all be too real. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she opened the box. She slowly opened one eye and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. The ring was there, which meant yesterday was in fact real.

After Lou cleaned herself up, she walked downstairs to find a man sitting on the couch reading some of Deb's books on pregnancy.

"Harry?" Lou called out softly. The man looked up and shook his head. Lou sighed and made her way over to him.

"Sorry kiddo, just me," Rusty half smiled. Lou sat next to him and put her head on his shoulder. Rusty kissed the top of her head and put the book down.

"She's gone..." Lou whimpered.

"I don't think she's as far gone as you think," Rusty said softly. Lou tilted her head a bit and rubbed her cheek against Rusty's arm.

"While she did give you back the ring, I think she's a lot less far gone than she was the first time. But you also have to understand, this is one of the first times she's ever suspected you of cheating. You both have always had a very strong understanding of your relationship. While you both flirted during your cons and got jealous, there was never really any doubt about who she belonged to or who you belonged to," Rusty continued. It was true, they both had a very deep understanding of where their relationship stood at all times. They both, of course, had to do what they had to do when it came to conning people. And while there was plenty of jealous sex, there was never a deep fear that took hold of some relationships. They were bonded pairs for life, and no one else would ever be able to satisfy their needs like they did for each other.

"Should I go to the party?" Lou asked softly.

"I wouldn't, it wouldn't be fair to Constance, but that's just my opinion. You could always ask Tammy what the mood is. And if she says no, I'd definitely run over there tomorrow. Bring Tess and/or DJ as a peace offering," Rusty said. Lou laughed a bit at the thought of her showing up with DJ in her arms trying to win Deb over. It would work, Deb would never be able to yell in front of him, she'd be more inclined to listen, and Lou would be able to show Deb how well they work together as parents. She pulled out her phone and began to type.

Lou -> Tim-Tam: *Hey, do you think I can come over?*

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tammy's phone buzzed and she pulled her phone halfway out of her pocket to see who it was.

"Excuse me, it's about the house," Tammy said as she left Rose and Deb by the food. She walked inside and upstairs into the guestroom downstairs. She dialed Lou and Lou picked up after the first ring.

"Hey Tam, so can I?" Lou asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea Lou, everything is going really great here. And I think Deb still needs some time," Tammy said softly. Lou sighed into the phone.

"Alright, how is she?" Lou asked.

"She's okay, she's still hurt, but I think you have a pretty good chance to fix this. I've been talking to her and I can tell she knows that she needs to let you explain and that you still love her more than anything," Tammy replied.

"I do, god I love her more than anything. And I swear Tammy, I swear that the picture is not what it looks like. Lexie liked me, I should have known and said something before anything like that could have ever happened. I just, didn't want to make things awkward between us since she was going to be my business partner and when we first met, Deb and I weren't even together," Lou explained.

"I know, well I need to go back, we're about to open presents. I brought yours so don't worry. I'll talk to you when we get home," Tammy said.

"Okay thanks Tam," Lou said softly.

"Love you," Tam said.

"Love you too, Tam, please tell Constance happy birthday for me.. and tell Deb I love her too.. if you think that'll be okay.." Lou trailed off. Tammy hesitated and then hung up the phone when she heard footsteps coming toward the door. She shoved her phone in her pocket and opened the door to find Nine Ball holding Derek's hand.

"Hey, we were just looking for you, Constance is about to open her presents," Nine said.

"Alright, let's go," Tammy smiled and took Derek's other hand.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Thank you guys so much for the gifts, I love them!" Constance beamed. She had gotten a custom skateboard from Rose. Rose was really good at drawing and had designed Constance's deck and gave her a new logo. Daphne had given her 5 exclusive interview coupons that she could use on any of Daphne's friends for her vlog. Constance went on a 30-minute conversation with herself about how she was going to use them before opening another present. The ladies just all laughed at how excited she was. Amita had given her a few custom jewelry pieces with cameras fixed into them so that Constance could vlog where and whenever she wanted. Tammy and Nine got her concert tickets to see B.T.S which caused Constance to let out a scream that rivaled Keri's. Derek and Keri made her a lanyard for her keys which she immediately began to use. Harold gave her one of his beanies from Australia which she also immediately put on. Deb got her an apple watch which had a front facing camera so that they could face time whenever and wherever. Lastly, she opened Lou's gift which Deb politely excused herself from. No one fought her on this, but they all shared the same sad look. Constance opened the box and inside was a framed selfie of her, Lou and Debbie at the Met Gala being super goofy in front of the Crown Jewels in which the frame had the words Mom, Dad, and Daughter engraved on it. The other photograph that was framed was a photo of all of them at New Years with the words family on it. Constance held the photos close and put them back in the box.

The rest of the night was spent playing games, eating and drinking. Harry and Tammy stayed sober enough to drive the crew home when it got around 10 pm. Constance begged Debbie to stay one more night, but she insisted that the young woman go back and finish getting ready for California.

Right before they left though, Tammy leaned in and whispered in Deb's ear, "she loves you." Deb nodded and smiled at Tammy before kissing her on the temple. As she waived at the caravan of cars leaving her house, a single tear ran down her cheek. She didn't want them all to go, but she also couldn't go back. She couldn't face Lou, at least not yet.

She went into the living room and plugged her phone up to the radio and began to play her "Fuck you" playlist. She jammed out and yelled out all the lyrics to the songs as she cleaned up the party. She danced around and threw bottles and cans angrily into the trash. Many people didn't know, but cleaning was one of her ways of getting out anxious energy. After she finished cleaning up, she took a shower and laid in her bed with just a towel.

"Looks like it's just another night alone.." Deb said to herself. She rolled over and looked at the strings of photos that hung on her wall. Around the photos was a rope of twinkly lights. She sighed as she saw photos of herself and Lou as young adults.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou laid in their bed, which now felt even more empty than when Deb was away in jail. She rolled over and looked at the photo of them that she had on her bedside table. It was their first photo together at Thanksgiving.

"I hate being without you.." Lou whispered. Both of them fell asleep wanting to be as physically close to the other as possible but being so physically far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, I finished a chapter in 2 days! I'm super proud of myself that I was able to get another chapter out despite all the shit going on. Anywhoo, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Have a wonderful day/night whenever you're reading this!!
> 
> xoxo


	26. Mine Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Lou win Deb back or will their relationship and plans for California yet be interrupted again?

*buzz buzz*

Deb groaned as the vibration of her phone continued to rattle against her bedside table. She reached over and grabbed her phone. She winced as the brightness of her phone blinded her. As she squinted at the screen she saw it was a message from Harold. 

Harry-> Deb: *Heads up, Lou's on her way.* Deb sighed and rolled out of bed. She didn't want to see Lou. No that was a lie, she wanted to see Lou, but she didn't want to talk to her. She didn't want to hear Lou tell her how that other girl's lips felt, or whatever she had to say. Getting out of bed was a lot harder than she anticipated. While she wasn't hungover, her body fought her when she tried to pull herself from the sheets. 

After showering again, brushing her teeth and applying some basic makeup, she went back into her room and waited for the inevitable knock at the door. She put on her old college t-shirt, a pair of sweats from her high school and pulled her hair up into a messy bun. She didn't care how she looked because if Lou really loved her, it wouldn't matter. She should still be tempting in this slob of an outfit. 

She hated feeling this way. She had never doubted herself like this before. It was a new feeling and it ate at her core. Her stomach twisted in knots and her body trembled. She had no idea why Lou would cheat on her other than her looks. She knew Lou needed the challenge mentally and no one could keep up with Lou like her. She had recently let herself slip a bit. She had been eating a bit more, but she didn't think she was that unattractive. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou woke up at the crack of dawn and began to pack. She wasn't going to leave that house without Deb, and she'd stay in the doghouse until she came home. She grabbed a few of Deb's books and a few articles she had gotten from Nine Ball about Terry. If Deb wasn't going to talk about what happened that night, she knew Deb wasn't going to be able to resist talking about Terry. 

She peeked into Constance's room where Tess and DJ were staying. She honestly thought about asking Tess if she could steal DJ for the day. But that would mean she'd have to come get him or that Lou would have to bring him back if it took longer than a day to convince Deb. She closed the door and made her way downstairs. She found Rusty and Harold talking at the kitchen table. 

"Ello sis," Harry whispered. 

"She won't wake up, I promise," Lou said as she looked at Constance. Harry nodded and smiled. 

"Going out?" Rusty asked. 

"Yeah, I kind of have a fiancee to try and win back," Lou whispered. 

"Good luck," Rusty nodded. She smiled at him softly and then sat down next to her brother. She laid her head on his shoulder which he responded by kissing the top of her head. 

"I love you sis," Harry whispered. Lou smiled and kissed her brother's shoulder. Harry was her rock when everything came falling down. Tammy was also that, but Tammy also offered advice and told her to cut her shit out. Harry mainly just listened and was a shoulder to cry on. He kept most of his opinions to himself because Lou didn't listen to him anyway. But also, he knew he didn't have much advice to offer. He had never been in a serious relationship. While most found that hard to believe due to the fact that he was so charming and attractive, it was true. He stayed to himself and always followed in the shadow of his sister. Even when Lou left for America all those years ago, he still kept to himself and only dated casually. Though Amita changed all that. She brought out his silly side, his sarcastic side, and everything only Lou and Deb had really ever seen. 

"Well I should get going then, can't keep putting this off," Lou said softly. Harry and Rusty nodded and they watched her grab her helmet and head off into the garage. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The whole drive there, Lou went over what she was going to say when she got there. She knew she had to say something, anything to get Deb talking. Even if it took a few days to get Deb to talk about what happened a few days later, she'd wait and talk about whatever Deb wanted to talk about. The other half of her mind was replaying that scene over and over again. She kept beating herself up over the fact that she was clueless to Lexie's intentions. She couldn't believe she had let it get that far. She kept asking herself whether or not she wanted it to happen subconsciously, but she didn't. While she found other people attractive, and she had always been down for a casual fuck, ever since Deb re-entered her life, she had thought about no one else. She had not lusted after anyone or even remotely wanted someone in that capacity. Touching anyone in a sexual manner repulsed her to some extent. 

After an hour, she pulled into the familiar driveway and up to the door of the house she once called home too. Before she could knock Debbie opened the door, which almost caused Lou to fall flat on her face but the brunette caught her and helped steady her. They exchanged an awkward few glances and smiles before Deb stepped aside to let Lou in. 

Lou looked down as she passed the stoic brunette and immediately took her place on the couch. There was already a cup of coffee waiting for her. She smiled at this gesture, not only because it was sweet, but because it showed her that Deb was indeed in a better place that she was before. 

Deb sat her in dad's old recliner and curled her knees up to her chest. She wrapped herself in the nearest blanket and sipped on her tea. Their eyes did most of the talking for the first half hour.  Lou's facial expressions were shy hesitant ones while Deb's were cautious yet stern. 

*buzz buzz*

Both women checked their phones, but it was Lou's that had gone off. 

Lexie-> Lou: *We need to talk.* Lou sighed and got up. 

"Excuse me, I have to take this, it's work.." Lou said softly. Deb winced when she heard the word work but gestured for Lou to go on ahead and take it. Lou scurried off out on the back porch which left Deb's brilliant mind to dive deeper into self-deprecating thoughts. Lou was here to make up with her, yet she still couldn't get away from Lexie. She folded deeper into herself and held herself. She felt so disgusting, worthless even. Her skin felt like it wasn't hers anymore, and every single place Lou touched, which was everywhere, felt like it was on fire. 

Lou dialed Lexie's number and Lexie immediately picked up. 

"Hey Lou, I just wanted to talk about where we stand. I mean that night was amazing, but it ended so abruptly. I just wanted to know if you were okay, or if we were okay.." Lexie began. 

"Look, we're business partners. Friends even. But I have someone. I'm engaged actually. Or well, never mind it's complicated but what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry for not clearing this up sooner and I'm sorry for leading you on. But I'm in love with someone else and I should have never let it get to the point where we ended up where we were the other night. I'm sorry. If you want to pull out as my business partner that's perfectly fine. I don't blame you," Lou ended. There was a small pause between Lou's answer and when Lexie began again. 

"I understand. And of course, I still want to be partners. I'm sorry that what happened happened. I hope you can fix it with that woman. She's incredibly lucky to have you," Lexie said. 

"No actually, I'm incredibly lucky to have her.... but thank you. I am lucky to have you as a business partner too," Lou said. 

"Alright well I gotta go, I'll talk to you later Lou," Lexie said and hung up the phone. Lou shoved her phone back into her pocket and when she came back into the living room Deb was gone. Lou's heart sank. 

"Deb?" Lou called out. There was no answer, but she could hear some shuffling upstairs. She slowly walked up the stairs, listening to signs of what Debbie was doing or what mood she was in. 

"Shit," Lou whispered as she hit her toe on the way up. The shuffling stopped and she could hear Deb holding in her breath. Lou shook her head as she fucked up once again. She found the bathroom door slightly cracked and the scent of lavender emanating from the room. Deb really only used that smell when she needed to calm herself after an extremely emotional day. Otherwise, she'd use rose or lemon or mint. Lou knocked gently on the door unsure if she should, or even if she could enter. 

"It's open..." Deb said softly. Lou opened the door slowly and then quickly shut it. She found the brunette woman curled up in a bath surrounded by bubbles. When Lou entered she shifted so Lou could only see above her shoulders. Lou could feel pieces of her heart breaking off as she witnessed Deb's shift in demeanor. She hated that she made Deb that uncomfortable that she wouldn't let her see her naked body, even though Lou had it ingrained in her memory. It solidified the fact that Deb was hurting, and felt very uncomfortable. 

"I'm sorry I had to take that..." Lou began. 

"No it's fine. Lexie's important to you," Deb cut her off. 

"No, Deb, it's not Lexie. Lexie has nothing to do with this. Yes, she's my business partner but nothing else. Nothing more. I promise," Lou said frantically, worried Deb would stop listening any second. Deb bit her lip and looked away. She was holding back tears. 

"I don't believe you... and that's the sad part," Deb whimpered. Lou's heart completely shattered into her stomach as she heard those words escape Deb's mouth. Their trust for each other had never really wavered. Lou believed in Deb and Deb believed in Lou. Even with Claude, after that fight, Deb and Lou's friendship returned. They had broken up, yet stayed partners, until the night when Deb was put away. 

********

"Lou stop.." Deb said as she pulled away from her now just "friend". 

"Deb, you know how risky this is? He's never asked you to do this before. Posing as a buyer could get you into some serious trouble, I mean even more trouble than before. I know you're in this for the money and to show me up, but you don't need to go risking your life to prove to me that you can handle yourself and that you're happy," Lou said. 

"I'm not doing this to prove anything to you," Debbie scoffed. 

"Really? Then why come back, why after I... after the breakup, did you come back? Come back and ask to be friends again, and then rope me in all your little plans with him. If you weren't proving anything to me then why rub it in my face? You could have done all of this without me. Without me knowing. But instead, your shit is still in ou-my apartment and when you and him fight you come to me and sleep with me, and then you run right back to him the next morning," Lou said with a slight softness in her tone. She was hurting, hurting for Deb, but also because of what Deb was doing to not only her but to herself.  Deb had come back to the apartment to talk to Lou a few months after their break up. Lou agreed to the terms of their friendship/partnership. A few months after that Deb introduced Lou to Claude and that's where all their trouble began. Deb roped Lou into all the plans she had with Claude, not physically, but Deb told them all to her. Even shared a bit of the profits if things were really good. Lou didn't hate the man, she just hated that his schemes were good. But most importantly hated that Deb was choosing him over her. While they remained friends, each year got harder and harder for Lou to hide her emotions. It had been 5 years since their break up and she still loved Deb more than anything. 

"Well you're right, I can do all of this without you.  And I'm going tonight as that buyer," Debbie huffed. She grabbed her coat and headed toward the door.

"No Deb, please wait. Please don't do this," Lou begged. 

"Why not? I don't need you as you said," Deb said as she reached for the doorknob. 

"Because I have a terrible feeling about this, please stay. Forget what I said. You're not doing it for me-" Lou begged. 

"You're right Lou, I'm doing it for me," Debbie cut her off and went out the door. As soon as Deb walked out that door, she could feel it in her stomach too. This wasn't going to end well. But she couldn't pull out now, she had told Lou she was going to do it, and she had to prove her, and herself, right. Despite trusting Lou, and her gut, she went through with it anyway, and it was the biggest mistake of her life. 

Lou sank to the floor and curled herself into a ball. Her gut was in knots. She knew something terrible was going to happen, and when she got the call from Danny that Deb was locked up, everything around her crashed. She felt so guilty for not doing more to stop her, for pushing her that way. But what she said was right, and Debbie didn't really deny it. She knew it was all for her. She knew that Deb wanted her to beg her to come back. But Lou never gave in, she let Deb have this, do her thing. Run around and be with someone else, because deep down, she doubted that she herself was good enough for the fabulous Deborah Ocean. 

********

"Deb please.." Lou began but was cut off.

"She's beautiful you know? Younger. She could probably tire you out instead of the other way around.." Deb said softly as she covered herself more with bubbles. 

"Debbie no, I don't see her like that. I don't see anyone like that other than you. You are etched into my brain like the blueprints of our first heist.." Lou begged. 

"She can give you things I can't. She'd have much better luck carrying your child, and she wouldn't lead you into a life of crime..." Deb continued as she looked out toward the window. 

"What happened was a mistake, but I promise you nothing happened. I never saw her that way. I don't want younger. I don't want statistically better at carrying my child. I want you. I see you. I've only ever dreamed about you and us having a child. You're the only one I want in my happily forever whatever after.." Lou began. Deb flashed a quick smile when she said "happily forever whatever after" which got Lou to smile a bit too. "I had 5 years, 8 months and 12 days to find someone else. And all I found were band-aids. No one could ever fill the hole you left in me. You are the other half of me. We are partners, not only in crime but in life. I love you Deborah Eleanor Ocean. And yes, you led me down a life of crime, but I don't want any other life if that means I don't get you in it. Please, let me prove that to you again. Let me.." Lou said and then gently reached for Deb's right hand, "be your fiancee again" Lou said as she slipped the ring back on. 

Deb pulled her hand back after the ring was put back on and examined it. Her finger had felt empty ever since she took the ring off. While it was heavy, it was never too heavy. To her, it felt like it had been missing her whole life. Her finger was meant to carry that ring, made to. Deb looked at Lou and nodded. 

"I'll be yours again, but I still.. I need some time.." Deb whispered. 

"Of course, anything you need," Lou said. 

"First can you help me out of the tub, I don't want to be a prune," Deb laughed softly. Lou nodded and stood up. She reached for Deb's hands and Deb took them and stood up. Lou's eyes instinctively looked over Debbie's body though she quickly looked away as she didn't want to make her uncomfortable. During her glance though she had noticed Deb had lost more weight. Debbie stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. Lou looked back down once she knew Deb was covered and they both walked out to Deb's old bedroom. Lou waited outside while Deb changed. 

"You can come in now," Deb said. Lou entered and Deb was in a pair of Lou's old plaid boxers from when they were teens and a college T-shirt. Lou bit her lip as she admired the brunette woman's body. She couldn't believe how someone could make that look as sexy as any lingerie. Deb blushed as she felt Lou's crystal clear blue eyes looking over her. She quickly made her way over to the bed and covered herself up. Lou followed and sat on the side of the bed. 

"I love you," Lou said softly. 

"I love you too," Deb whispered. Her eyes began to flutter closed. 

"Do you want me in Danny's room, or the guest room downstairs, or even on the couch..?" Lou asked. 

"Here," Deb said sleepily and pulled Lou's side of the covers open. Lou raised her eyebrow but she wasn't going to argue. She quickly stripped down to her briefs and her tank top and crawled into bed with Deb. Deb snuggled up onto Lou, slipping her body between the blonde woman's legs and finding a nice head rest on her chest. Lou wrapped her arms around Deb tightly and kissed the top of her head. While they had enough room to sleep comfortably beside each other, back in the day, this was Deb's favorite way to sleep. Lou had been uncomfortable with it in the beginning, but she had quickly gotten used to the weight of her lover and the slight drool that would drip onto her chest if Deb was in a deep sleep. 

"Goodnight baby," Lou whispered. 

"Goodnight," Deb mumbled. And like that, Deb was out. Her breathing was a bit heavier and her eyes fluttered, meaning that she was about to enter a very deep sleep. Lou smiled down at her lover. Deb hadn't slipped into a deep sleep in over 10 years, and Lou knew that she was the reason Deb was finally getting there. She reached over and grabbed her phone and took a picture of the sleeping beauty on her. She then texted it to the group with the caption, "Mine once more"  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh so sorry for the late update, my computer's charger stopped working so now I'm using a friends. Anywhoo, I hope you all are continuing to like the story and still are interested enough in it. I promise California and Danny are coming soon. Though like I said, this is a long read. Well, have a great night/day whenever you're reading this! I appreciate each and every one of you so much!
> 
> xoxo


	27. Confirmation

It was 5:30 am when Lou woke to the shifting movements of Deb's body. She rolled over and attempted to pull Deb back down but she was too slow. Deb was already in the bathroom and about to hit the shower. Lou slowly got out of bed and followed her lover closely.

"May I?" Lou asked as she leaned against the doorway.

Deb jumped when she heard the familiar voice and pulled the towel back over her. Lou bit her lip as she watched Deb cover herself.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll go.." Lou said softly and made her way out of the bathroom. Debbie opened her mouth to ask Lou to stay but her voice betrayed her and instead she watched the blonde exit and walk back into her old room. She sighed in disappointment, not really at Lou, but at herself for not being ready. She closed the door and took her shower in silence.

Lou went back to the room and laid on the bed. She grabbed her phone and began to text Tammy.

Lou-> Tim-Tam: *She's afraid of me... she keeps covering herself up as if we're rooming together and I've never seen her naked.*

The response time from Tammy immediate. Lou raised her eyebrow at this but figured one or more of the kids were up at this hour too so it would make sense.

Tim-Tam-> Lou: *Hun, give her time. She thought of herself as unattractive to you, of course she's not going to want you to look at her body.*

Lou sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She hated that she had made Debbie feel this way about herself. She had never been so attracted to someone before. Sure she found other people attractive over the years, even flirted or lusted after them, but it wasn't the soul-gripping attraction that would literally bring Lou down to her knees. She never begged, but she would beg for Deb. She'd mew, cry, whimper, and quiver because of, and for Deb. Lou began to type again.

Lou-> Tim-Tam: *How do I make her realize that I do indeed love her body. That I worship it, from afar, since she probably won't let me show her physically.*

Tim-Tam-> Lou: *Take her out. Maybe a nice dinner and then to a place with plenty of temptation. Show her that no matter who makes advances that your eyes are on her. That you are hers. But for the love of god, even if you can't feel her eyes on you, do not engage with a woman longer than 5 minutes.*

Lou-> Tim-Tam: *Alright, thanks*

Tim-Tam-> Lou: *good luck, and remember what I said Miller. Or you will lose her forever.*

Lou put her phone back on the bedside table that used to be hers when she heard Debbie's light footsteps walking toward the bedroom. Lou nestled her head into the pillow and closed her eyes right before Debbie entered. Debbie looked down at the blonde woman and her heart fluttered. She looked so peaceful, and all she wanted to do was kiss those soft lips. But she stopped herself because she was still hurting. She swiftly slipped on a t-shirt and the old pair of boxers she was wearing before. As she walked toward the door, something caught her thigh. She looked down and saw Lou's hand firmly gripping onto her as if it were for dear life. 

"Stay.." Lou muttered softly. Debbie looked up and bit her lip. Lou held on tigher. 

"I-I gotta make breakfast," Debbie choked out. 

"I don't want breakfast, I just want you," Lou whispered. Debbie's heart skipped a beat as she heard those words. 

"Okay.." Debbie said cautiously. She backed up and went over to her side of the bed. As she was about to place her knee down so she could get on the bed softly, Lou's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her down into her. Debbie fought Lou a bit at first but once her head hit the blonde woman's chest the flood gates opened. Debbie sobbed hard into Lou, and Lou responded by rubbing her back soothingly. Normally, Lou would listen to any advice Tammy gave her on how to deal/handle Deborah Ocean, but she realized she had to throw out that advice when she noticed that Deb needed physical reassurance, needed Lou to manually rip down the walls that she had built up. 

Debbie's body shook, but it slowly stopped as the pressure of Lou's arms held her together. Once Debbie's body was calm, her breathing became normal again. Lou didn't let up on her grip through despite Debbie's body calming down. She knew that her mind was still racing a million miles a minute, although Debbie's mind at the moment was just static, it was still working. Deb clung onto Lou's torso, and she intertwined her legs with the longer legs of Lou. After about another 30 minutes of silence went by before Deb made a sound. 

"Thank you.." Deb mumbled against Lou's bare chest. 

"No, darling, thank you.." Lou whispered into her ears. Deb bit her lip and nodded. 

Lou looked down at her lover and lifted Deb's chin up. Deb didn't fight and instead looked up at Lou with big brown sad eyes. Lou's heart sank a little, but she knew Deb needed it, and this was the look that confirmed it. Lou leaned down and gently kissed Debbie's soft lips. Debbie kissed back gently, and then with a little more force as their kiss lingers. Lou slowly slipped her hands up Debbie's shirt and began to rub the brunette's nipples. 

"Take me," Debbie said so softly if Lou hadn't been intently listening to Deb's every move, she may have missed it. Lou didn't hesitate to make a move. She knew if she did, she'd lose Debbie. Not actually lose her, but Debbie was extremely vulnerable in this moment, and if Lou were questioned, she would sink deeper into the self-doubt. So Lou just nodded and flipped them over so that Lou was on top of Deb. The blonde made quick work of Deb's shirt and the pair of boxers, and immediately began to leave a trail of small love marks, and kisses all over Debbie's chest and stomach. She spent the most time on Debbie's stomach. Debbie's body felt like it was on fire. She wanted to cover herself up due to her lack of confidence, but she couldn't stop, nor did she really want to stop Lou's lips. 

Lou savored every single moment Deb let her have. She took her time caressing the woman beneath her. She did her best to make that fire cool down, and the self-doubt the melt away with her touch, but she knew it wouldn't just disappear only having done this once. It would take time, and more than just the physical reassurance and that was okay with her. She'd spend the rest of her life making sure Debbie never had to feel this way again. Her lips wrapped around Deb's left nipple and her finger latched on to the right. Her tongue and fingers worked in sync, making the soft tissue turn into hard nubs. Deb bit her lip, trying her best to keep quiet. She was afraid to enjoy it, afraid to let more walls down, even though they were already crumbling with each flick of Lou's tongue. 

"I got you baby, please... just let go.." Lou whispered softly. Deb responded by biting her lip harder and doing her best to keep from bucking her hips, but her body betrayed her once Lou's tongue traveled down to her navel. Lou gently spread Debbie's legs and lifted them over her shoulders. She began slowly, wishing time could stand still for them at this moment. She loved the way Debbie's whole package looked like, smelled like, tasted like. She had seen plenty in her time, and even a few before she ever met Deb, but she never marveled at them the way she did Deb's. She placed a few soft kisses and then a few hard love marks on the inside of Debbie's thighs. A soft moan escaped the brunette's plump lips. Lou smirked softly and then slipped her tongue in Debbie's folds. She sucked on her outer lips. Debbie's hips bucked and her back arched a bit. 

Lou dipped her tongue in Debbie's center and used her cum to wet the rest of her area. Debbie mewed softly. Lou flicked Debbie's clit softly and sucked on it intermittently, which caused a few more moans to escape. Lou reached up with her right hand and caressed her lover's stomach and breast. The blonde's long tongue swirled around Debbie's clit and tried to imitate her lover's figure 8's that made her crumble. 

"Hmm that's my move..." Debbie said softly. 

"Imitation is the best form of flattery.." Lou winked. Debbie's cheeks turned a new shade of red and she turned her face away. Lou slips her tongue inside Debbie's core and fucks her slowly. Deb's hips buck as she feels Lou's tongue licking her walls. Her whimpers and whines are no longer being muffled by her own lips. 

"Such a good girl," Lou cooed softly. Debbie's cheeks turn a darker shade of red. Lou wrapped her arms underneath Deb's legs and pulled her closer to her. Now all Lou could smell was Deb, all she could taste was Deb, all she could feel was Deb and all she could hear was Deb. This was her favorite place in the world to be. Completely immersed in Debbie Ocean. 

Lou's tongue as deep as it could be in, and her nose was in perfect position to rub against the brunette's clit. Without warning, her lover's walls clenched around Lou's tongue and her legs shook. 

"Oh.. I'm so sorry, I didn't ask..." Debbie gasped softly and began to pull away, expecting to be reprimanded for her mistake. 

"No," Lou said as she pulled the brunette back to her. "Those rules don't apply today."

Debbie bit her lip and looked into Lou's icy blue eyes and Lou nodded giving her the reassurance she needed. Deb sank back down into the bed and let her body relax. Lou kissed back up her lover's body and reapplied some of her marks that already began to fade. She hated that. If Deb made a mark on her, it would stay forever. But Deb's skin didn't hold onto her marks very well. It made some nights more fun though because she could reapply those marks in the middle of a club, or during dinner. But right now, it was a bit frustrating, because she wanted to make sure that whenever Deb looked at her body and began to doubt herself, she'd see those marks and know Lou truly did love every single inch of her. She wanted Debbie to have absolute confirmation that she was indeed loved, cherished, and lusted after. The rest of the morning, Lou spent her time explaining to Debbie how much she worshiped her, with just her tongue and fingers. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the loft, Tammy and Nine were getting the last of their stuff arranged for the move. Most of their stuff was already in boxes, but they had decided to keep out the kid's stuff as long as they possibly could. But as it reached the end of the first week of February, they knew they needed to start getting everyone else's things together too. 

"Alright guys, come on, you have to help Mommy and Leslie pack up some of your things," Tammy said as she tried to wrangle the kids to stay still in their room. 

"Where are we going?" Derek asked. 

"California remember? We are moving so that we can have a better life, and a warmer one," Tammy said as she wrapped the boy up in another coat.

"Are our aunties and uncle coming with us?" Keri asked as she began pulling things out of drawers. Nine stopped her before she began throwing things onto the floor and handed her a box to start setting things in. 

"Yes, well, we all won't live in the same house as we do now. Our house will just be Derek, Keri, Lucas, Roni, Leslie and me," Tammy said and smiled. 

"Where will they live?" Derek asked. 

"Close enough so that we can see them whenever we want," Nine Ball said. The kids nodded and began to pack away their summer clothes and anything else that they didn't need for the next few weeks. Tammy and Nine snuck soft looks at each other throughout the day, both realizing how amazing life was at the moment. They had everything they wanted, each of them was fulfilled in every way and they were about to go on an adventure together, as one. Their day was spent packing, but also playing games with the kids. Lucas's day was spent being passed around from one family member to the next. 

Lucas was already 3 months old, and every day Tammy would wake him up by saying, 'oh how I wish time would stop,'. He was getting tummy time now and his neck was getting stronger by the day. Tammy loved having a little one around again. He was so easy going and very easy to please. She was so thankful he wasn't anything like Keri when she was a baby. While she probably had more patients now that she was older and didn't have another child under the age of 2, it still made her tired just thinking about having another one as fussy as Keri. Nine Ball also loved having little Lucas around. She was so young when she raised Roni so experiencing this now as that she was older, she appreciated it a lot more. She also realized how strong she was at 12. She was forced to raise a child at the age of 12. A child that wasn't even her own. 

Once the kids had eaten, taken their baths and were settling down for the night, the two women finally had some alone time. Lucas was already asleep in his crib and Keri and Derek were old enough to watch some tv in their room by themselves. 

Tammy changed into her nightgown and then slipped into bed. Once Nine laid down, she pulled back the covers and lifted Tammy's nightgown up slowly. Tammy blushed softly and bit her lip as she anticipated what would come next. But rather than Nine stopping right above her hip bones and beginning to tease her, Nine stopped right under her breasts. Tammy raised her eyebrow a bit and watched as her lover's fingers gently ran over her stretch marks and covered her sides and lower stomach. 

"Wh-what are you doing?" Tammy asked shyly. She was still not over her insecurities about her stomach. Ashton never liked her stretch marks, he always commented on them and hinted at new remedies to try and get rid of them. While he was never outright cruel about it, she did everything she could to get rid of them. Nine's fingers made their way to her side which had a deep scar from the time Deb and she ran off to Mexico for spring break senior year of high school. She also had another scar right above her hip from the time she was learning how to ride her bike, but it was almost gone now. 

"Admiring how flawless you are," Nine whispered. Tammy let out a small scoff, but when Nine continued to caress her, it hit her that she wasn't kidding. While she could never see herself the way Nine saw her, she saw how intense Nine was studying her. How her eyes were like lasers, etching every single mark, scar, freckle, and blemish she had, but instead of judgment in her eyes, there was love. Tammy blushed and ran her fingers through Nine's dreads. 

Nine placed her lips softly on Tammy's stomach and left small marks. This caused a small moan to escape the blonde woman's lips. Nine's fingers traced back over the stretch marks, but also made small patterns and a few words with her fingertip. Tammy looked down at her lover with so much admiration and respect. 

"I wouldn't mind carrying your child," Tammy said softly. Nine Ball shot up after hearing this and looked at Tammy confused. 

"Oh don't think I don't know what you were thinking.. or spelling," Tammy smiled. Nine blushed and bit her lip. Tammy caresses her lover's cheek and her heart swelled with happiness because even though she may have sounded confident in that moment, she wasn't quite sure she was correct. Nine blushing though confirmed everything. 

"It doesn't have to be soon or anything, but it's something that has been on my mind.." Nine trailed off. 

"I understand baby, maybe once we're in California, we can explore our options more in-depth," Tammy said cheerfully.

"I can't wait," Nine Ball beamed.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Harold?" Amita said softly as she stepped out of the shower. 

"In here darling," Harry said. Amita smiled as she still swooned over the man's thick Australian accent. She could listen to him all day if he would let her. Harry had been staying at the loft more and more as the two got closer. They ran into a few awkward moments when Lou or Deb would catch them kissing or when they ran into Lou and Deb right after the other couple finished a very obvious session of sex. 

Amita slipped on her pj's and came out of the bathroom. Harry sat right up as she entered the room and smiled as he looked her over. 

"You're so beautiful," Harry said smiling. 

"Hush," Amita blushed. Harry shook his head and licked his lips, which caused Amita to roll her eyes. Amita tucked her hair behind her ear and walked over to Harry. He wrapped her up in his big strong arms and held her tight. Amita sank into him and let him melt away all the stress in her life. 

"So, when is the big day?" Amita asked softly. 

"What big day?" Harry said as he stroked her hair. 

"You know, when Deb and Lou plan to get pregnant," Amita smiled. 

"Oh, uhh.. I think they were planning on waiting until after they were settled in California. Though now I don't know what will happen," Harry said. 

"You really think this is going to break them?" Amita asked concerned. While she had known the couple a long time, Harry had known them longer and he knew his sister almost as well as Debbie did. 

"I don't think it will, but it will definitely make a dent in Debbie's confidence. But knowing Lou, she's never going to stop until that dent is repaired and Debbie's confidence is through the roof. Those two.. I have never seen anything like what they have. Even in the movies, nothing accurately portrays what they have. It's amazing really. And while I think sometimes those two can be like fire and gasoline, I know that when it's good. It's really fucking good," Harry explained. Amita nodded and smiled.

"Move with me to California," Amita said. 

"What?" Harry asked. He was surprised to hear her ask that, actually rather just say it.

"Move with me. It makes sense," Amita said as she nuzzled her cheek against Harry's very strong chest.

"I mean, I really should be getting back to Australia, my family wasn't even really expecting me to be gone this long," Harry said softly. 

"I can support us, I have enough for the rest of our lives, and our kids lives, and our grandchildren's lives," Amita said. She blushed as she realized what she had just said. Harry blushed too. Oh gosh, how can I be thinking about having his children when we haven't even had sex yet, Amita thought. It was true, they hadn't consummated their relationship yet. Though, they had never discussed whether or not they were actually in a relationship. They just sort of started kind of living together. 

"I-I uh, well I understand that, but I have a business to run back there too," Harry said softly.

"Your father still technically runs it, why doesn't he continue there and you suggest branching off into LA," Amita suggested. 

"That's a lot to suggest in such a short time love," Harry mumbled. 

"I know, I know but, what we have here, I don't really want to lose it," Amita muttered. Harry sighed. He didn't want it to end either, but he knew he couldn't just up and leave and have it ready within a month. 

"I can talk to my father, I promise you that. But I cannot promise this will all be done in a months time darling," Harry warned. 

"I know, and I'm not asking you to have it all perfectly packaged with a bow on top in a month. I'm just asking you to consider it and to have a plan of some sort in a month. I can do long distance, I don't mind, but I think it'd be good for you to be here. Good for Lou too, and your niece or nephew," Amita confessed. 

"We'll talk more later alright? Right now I am hungry and I want to take my beautiful girlfriend out on a date," Harry smiled. 

"Girlfriend?" Amita asked with a smile. 

"Yes, Amita, will you be my girlfriend?" Harry asked with a giant smile on his face. 

"Of course, I thought you'd never ask," Amita smiled and leaned up to kiss him. She couldn't wait to tell the others that their relationship was finally confirmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry for the late upload, finals week is killing me. Best of luck to any of my readers who are reading instead of studying for finals. I love you all. Have a good night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	28. I'm Not Good At Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group has found more information about Danny and what Benedict's might be. With that, Lou must leave for California now if she is to explore the U.S by herself and take that California coastline ride before the clock starts ticking. How will the rest of the group cope being down their second in command? And how will Deb cope, losing her partner yet again?

"Come on Lou, it's almost time to go," Constance yelled. Lou sighed and slowly got off the bed. It was already 7 am. She wasn't ready to leave quite yet, but she knew that if she didn't, she wouldn't be able to take the time she needed to travel out to California and ride from the top of the coast down. It was going to take her 3 weeks to do everything she wanted. 1 and a half to get across the country, and 1 and a half to get down. She not only wanted to be out in the open road but she also wanted to do some sightseeing. While Debbie and she had been around, they never really just stopped and looked at the sights. She was always forced to look at the things around her as marks, rather than just enjoy them for what they were. They never stopped at national parks or landmarks or museums, everything was strictly business. And although she loved that part of her life, she now more than ever, just wanted to enjoy the smaller things.

Once Lou made it to the stairs, all the women were waiting for in the living area with a giant poster saying "Good Luck Lou". While Debbie was physically there with them, Lou could tell she wasn't there mentally. It would be the first time being apart since the heist, and it was not something either of them were comfortable with. But, Lou needed this, and Debbie knew that so they both tried their best to put on a brave face. 

They had spent the last week having sex all day and all night. They rarely ever took breaks and when they did it was to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom. Whenever they showered, it just turned into shower sex. Luckily the rest of the ladies assumed that is how they would spend their last week together, so they had all cleared out before they ran into any awkward situations. Every morning it was a race to see who would wake who up first. Would it be Debbie eating the blonde out for breakfast or would it be Lou, slipping in her cock and waking the brunette up from what she thought was just a really good dream? The rest of the day was spent however they wanted it to be spent. Their style, positions, and scenery changed as quickly as the hours that ticked by. They never once made love, fucked or had sex in the same spot the same way. And while they already had sex on every surface in the loft, except in other people's bedrooms, they still found new places and new positions to do things in. They had even broken one of Lou's favorite strap-ons in the process. 

As Lou made her way down the stairs, she purposefully ran her slender fingers down the railing while eyeing Deb. Deb blushed as she was reminded of being fucked on the stairs, up against the railing, at the top of the stairs and even at the bottom. The other women ignored that look and pretended like they didn't know that every surface in the loft was contaminated.  

"So are you ready to go?" Daphne asked as she patted the blonde woman's leather coat. 

"Yeah, I mean I have all the stuff I need. Food, cash, cell phone, clothes, water, and a few other gadgets thanks to Nine," Lou said as she winked at Nine. Nine nodded back and winked. Nine had outfitted her bike to track the trip, how long she spent at one place, GPS, emergency response help, and hooked up a nice system which connected her phone to it. 

"3 weeks, that's going to be a pretty long trip. Figure you make it to the new loft by March 8th?" Tammy asked. 

"Yeah, I mean it's the 15th, exactly 3 weeks should be the 8th. If you guys make it there before me that's fine. I mean, Deb has keys and everything," Lou said. 

"Promise to text us all, every time you stop," Rose said nervously. Lou smiled at her and nodded. As she walked past Harry, who was sitting on the arm of the couch, he grabbed her arm gently and offered, "I could go with you, I know how to ride."

"No, I need to do this alone," Lou said as she kissed her brother's forehead. He stood up and followed her like the rest of them. They all looked like sad little puppies being left behind by their mother. 

"Alright, well I guess you should get going, the first stop is Columbus, OH. That's about 8 hours with no stops.." Debbie said softly as she stood back from the pack. Lou nodded and grabbed her backpack and her helmet. The rest of the ladies followed the blonde out to the garage. Constance grabbed onto Lou's arm as they walked. Lou kissed the top of the young woman's head and smiled.  _ **God this shouldn't be that hard, I'm going to see them again for god's sake,**  _Lou thought. But it was hard. It was extremely hard on all of them, especially now that they had a good idea on what was going on with Danny. 

********

"Wait, look at these post stamps," Tess said as she examined the postcards Linus brought over months ago. Lou, Tammy, Deb, and Rusty all looked at what Tess was pointing at. They were all at Katie's Doughnuts after hours. Derek and his family had always let the Ocean's use their place as a place of refuge. Hundreds of late night meetings were spent here, Danny and Debbie as kids called this shop their second home. 

"They're all sent on the same day. Different month but the same day," Tess continued. The rest of the group nodded. 

"But what does that mean?" Tammy asked. 

"13, it's Benedict's faction of the Italian mob" Rusty said. 

"We already knew that," Lou said. 

"Yeah, but Danny didn't know that. This was his way of confirming that it was. It's Terry. He's back," Debbie said. The group all let out a collective sigh. They had their suspicions, but now it was clear. 

"But if Terry is jealous over DJ, why not attack us? Why not take DJ out?" Lou said. Tess and Tammy both looked at Lou like she was crazy, but they both knew she was right. Why not take away the one thing Danny loved most. That thing was no longer Tess, but his own flesh and blood. A son to carry on the Ocean's legacy. 

"While I hate to admit that Lou is right about this, she is. I don't understand why he hasn't made a pass at you yet Tess," Rusty said. Tess sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. 

"I don't know, the move to Boston was sudden and we used fake names. I've kept off the radar pretty well, but Benedict's guys have always been able to find us.. so honestly, I'm not sure," Tess said sadly.

"These guys don't usually go after wife and kids, what if he can't? What if he isn't allowed to touch either of you, so instead, he's going to torture both of you by never allowing Danny to watch his son grow up, and you never being able to see Danny again. I mean think about it, DJ is the only flesh and blood left besides me that he's got left. To know that his son is out there, but never going to be able to know if he's truly safe would haunt him. Not only that, but Danny is going to teach that boy everything there is to know about our business. That's the name of the game. But he will have no one to teach him, no one to make him into the Daniel Robert Ocean Jr that he was supposed to be. That would kill Danny. And you Tess, you left Benedict for Danny, and now to also never be able to have him again would torture you. To raise DJ on your own is your biggest fear. And he knows that. So, this is better than killing DJ. This is his goal. And capturing Danny alive, to watch the man suffer, would only make the torture that much better for Benedict," Debbie explained. The rest of the group was silent. They knew Benedict was bad, evil even in some respects, but not this cruel. No one ever saw him going to these extremes to enact his revenge on the Ocean's. "But what Benedict failed to remember or plan for or even research is that there is more than one Ocean. I'm here, and I'm not going down without a fight."

"You're right, he doesn't know about you," Rusty said with a bit of hope behind his voice. 

"He also doesn't know I have 7 wonderful women behind me, who unlike you men, can get things done without drawing attention to ourselves," Debbie winked at Rusty. Rusty just rolled his eyes. He would admit that the way Danny Ocean ran things was much more flashy, in your face, public type of stunts. And they had gotten their fair share of jail time for it too.

"What has Leslie picked up on Benedict's movements?" Tammy asked. Debbie tilted her head a bit, but Tammy shot her a look. Tammy knew what Nine was doing late at night when she assumed Tammy was asleep. She knew Debbie and Nine were talking behind closed doors and meeting out for more than just coffee and tech lessons. 

"I-I well, he's still in Vegas running his casinos. His two head guys have been in and out of Vegas. They've recently been to Miami. We don't think it has anything to do with Danny though," Debbie said softly. 

"Well, we need to all start heading out there. The sooner we get out there, the sooner we can start diving into this thing," Tess said. 

"Agreed. I should be leaving within the next week, the rest will start slowly following after. Rose and Daphne are flying, Constance and Amita are flying too. I don't know what Harold, I don't know what the situation is with him and Amita..." Lou began. 

"Leslie and I are road tripping... I know before you all say that's suicide, we know. But we're driving with the kids. It seems easier than flying. Plus we have so much stuff, but uhh.. Cameron will help us with all the other things," Tammy said. 

"And you?" Tess asked Debbie. 

"I will be driving, maybe you and DJ could come with. I was going to go it alone but, might as well travel together," Debbie smiled. The two held hands and nodded. 

"I think I am going to stay here, for now, I need to keep an eye on Linus," Rusty said. 

"What's that weasel been up to anyways?" Lou asked. 

"I don't know, but I don't think it's good," Rusty said. 

"He was always such a good kid, loyal. You really think he'd turn on Danny now?" Tess asked. 

"I turned him down, Rusty has, Danny has, you have. I mean he doesn't really have a great track record here," Deb added. The group all exchanged looks and nodded. Despite him proving himself useful, he was still the youngest and the most inexperienced. He was left off, and out of some of the important details about various other stings, the boys pulled in the years after Ocean's thirteen. Danny and Rusty were always together, but they'd pull in Linus, Livingston, and or the Malloy brothers occasionally. Linus always wanted them to be the three musketeer's but it never happened. Danny and Rusty were too tight. It almost mirrored the relationship of Debbie, Tammy, and Lou. Except Deb and Tammy were like Danny and Rusty, and this time, the new guy, Lou got the Ocean. 

"Alright, well we all go our own ways then. But we must go soon. Danny has already been underground now for about a year," Tess said. The ladies, and Rusty all got up and left the shop, but all at different times. Tammy and Tess left through the back door. Rusty and Lou left through the front door and Debbie slipped into the next building and left through their back door. While they hadn't found evidence that someone was following them, they did watch their backs everywhere they went. 

********

Deb lingered in the background watching everyone hug Lou and say their goodbyes. They all patted Deb's shoulder as they went inside,  while they all swallowed this goodbye down hard, they couldn't even imagine would Deb and Lou would be going through. This left the two women alone, and they stood in silence for a long while before any sound was made. Lou took the first steps toward Deb, while the brunette stood her ground with her arms crossed. She had never been good at goodbyes. 

"You know it's only going to be 3 weeks. And then I promise, I promise I will never leave you again. I will never be more than a 30-minute car ride away," Lou said softly. She embraced the stoic brunette and held her closer. Deb just looked away and bit her lip. 

"Please don't be like this, you said I could go. Plus if we go-" Lou began but was shut up by her lips being bitten by Deb's. Lou melted into the kiss and then slipped her hands into the back pockets of Debbie's jeans to pull her in closer. Their kiss was soft and slow. Debbie pressed her lips a bit harder against Lou's, trying not to seem as desperate as she was to keep her close. 

A few more tender moments passed before Debbie pulled away slowly. Lou took Debbie's face in her hands and caressed her cheeks. Their eyes locked and their conversation started again. No words, no movements, just their eyes. 

"You're already late.. you need to get going," Debbie whispered. Lou sighed and held her lover close.

"I'll always come home to you, Jailbird," Lou smiled softly. 

"And I'll always be waiting, Lulu Bear," Debbie mumbled. Lou rolled her eyes as she heard that nickname. While it was the sappiest of them all, the mushiest, it was the one she treasured the most. One that Debbie rarely ever pulled out, but when she did, it tugged at every one of Lou's heartstrings. Not even Daddy compared to it. If Debbie were to say the words "stay" and "Lulu Bear" in the same sentence she would have to. 

Another moment passed before Debbie again broke the silence with, "Go on." Tears formed in both of their eyes but Lou nodded anyways. The taller woman looked over her bike one last time to make sure she had everything. Once she was satisfied she slung her backpack over her shoulders.

"I love you Deborah Eleanor Ocean," Lou said right as she put on her helmet. 

"I love you too Louise Sydney Miller," Debbie mumbled softly. Lou hopped on her bike and started it with a roar. She looked back at her lover one last time, tapped on her helmet and then sped off. Deb watched her go out the garage until she was out of sight. She stayed in what they made their driveway until Constance came out and stood beside her. Constance looked up at the woman in awe of how stoic she was. But if Constance could read her mind or see through her skin, she'd know that Debbie was anything but stoic at this moment. 

"She's going to be alright Mom," Constance said. 

"I'm not worried about her kiddo, I'm worried that I won't make it these next 3 weeks," Deb said with a fake smile. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I am so sorry for getting this out so late. I hope you all are still as interested as you started. Plans are revving up and plots are starting to thicken. Thanks again for all your ongoing support for this story. I love you all dearly. Have a wonderful night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	29. On The Road Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These are the first few days Lou is on her road trip to California.

It had been exactly 96 hours since Lou took off from her loft in New York. She stayed in Colombus only to sleep, there was nothing there that interested her. She then made a stop in Des Moines, Iowa before getting to Fargo, North Dakota. She finally reached Medora, North Dakota which is where the Theodore Roosevelt Nation Park was. This was going to be her first stay somewhere longer than a single night. She wanted to ride through the park and see all the wildlife, especially the buffalo. Large herbaceous animals weren't really a thing in Australia and deer came every once and a while by Deb's old place.

While on the road, the person she kept most in contact was surprisingly Constance. The kid was always sending her memes, and various facts about whenever she was going to be going the next day. Unknown to anyone at the loft, Constance was also sending Lou updates on Debbie. Lou knew none of the others would really want to tell her unless it was urgent, but Constance couldn't help but help her moms. Nine Ball would occasionally leave coordinates and various security tips regarding hotels and or anything else Lou wanted to go see after hours. Tammy would send a good morning and a good night text. They occasionally talked about how things were going, but Deb was something neither of them brought up. It got awkward a few times, as Lou wanted to ask, and Tammy wanted to tell, but they knew it wouldn't do any good. Daphne only sent messages telling her not to die. Harry would send her things too, but mainly just messages checking up on her. Debbie on the other hand never sent anything, which Lou expected. It was hard enough as it was, and just reminding each other of how much they missed each other would really dampen the mood.

Despite her missing her other half, she was thoroughly enjoying being out on the open road. She felt free from everything she ever felt bound too. Whether it was something that happened recently or something that happened when she was 5. She felt free from it all, and that feeling was something she had craved since she first felt suffocated. Though she had never felt more suffocated than when she got the news Debbie had been caught.

She regretted the fight every day of her life. If she hadn't pushed Deb so hard maybe that would have never happened. But she also knew Deb made her choice, and without getting caught, they may have never what they have now. She saw Claude for what he truly was that night a little over 6 years ago. This lead to the heist of a lifetime and her happy ending. Debbie may or may not agree, but all that pain and suffering she endured for 10 years, it was all worth it. Because she had everything she ever wanted now. And with the fresh air flowing through her lungs, the smell of gasoline, and the sound of her Bonnebille Bobber's 76 horsepower engine at 6100 rpm running made it all a reality for her.

Lou sent photos of the sunsets and of wildlife to Deb every day. One of the things Debbie missed the most while in the hole were sunsets. She and Lou made it a point every night to stop and look at the sunset.

********

"Up! Go up!" Debbie yelled. Lou and she were running as fast as they could down a dark alleyway.

"Get them!" a man shouted. Lou reached and pulled down the fire escape ladder and climbed up in record speed. Deb was right behind her and they both pulled up the ladder. They climbed the rest of the stairs as fast as they could. The men turned the corner into the alleyway and ran down it. There was a dead end at the back of the alley.

"Come out, come out where ever you are!" another man called. Deb and Lou froze on the last set of stairs. Lou covered her mouth as her breathing was quite heavy and the air was cold enough to where her breath could be seen. Debbie buried her face into Lou's shoulder. The men paced up and down the alley but once they realized they had lost the girls they turned back and ran off in the other direction. Lou and Deb quickly scampered up the last set of stairs and found themselves on top of an apartment building looking over the city. Deb went and sat on the very edge of the building, her feet hanging off the side. If she were to move about 5 inches forward she'd fall right off and onto the city sidewalk. Lou cautiously approached her and sat beside her woman. Lou emptied her pockets and Deb did the same.

"Well looks like I got about $500 in cash, 2 visa gift cards, and a nice Blancpain watch with an engraving," Deb said as she turned the watch over. "To my love, Albert."

"Don't suppose Albert will be getting that back any time soon," Lou laughed. Debbie smiled and watched as Lou counted her takeaways for the night.

"I got about $650, a Cartier love bracelet, and Hermes's belt," Lou said as she unrolled the leather belt.

"Wow, this is our biggest grab yet," Debbie smiled. Lou nodded and then turned to look out at the view. The sun was setting on the city, dipping below the skyscrapers. Debbie smiled and laid her head on Lou's shoulder. Lou kissed the top of Debbie's head. While they had only been doing this for about 2 years now, they felt as if they had done it their whole lives. They knew each other's every move which made working the clubs easy.

"You know, one day we won't have to do this," Lou sighed as she held her lover.

"What do you mean?" Debbie asked.

"Well, you know, we won't have to run these silly cons. One day, we'll move away from here, get a big ole place and live together. California maybe," Lou said as she looked off into the sunset.

"But this is our life, this is what we do," Debbie looked up at Lou.

"Baby girl, we have to have more dreams than this," Lou turned and caressed her lover's cheek. Debbie looked into Lou's eyes.

"Yeah, bigger and better cons," Debbie said.

"No, Deb, I mean no more cons. An honest living," Lou sighed.

"But that's not who I am Lou, I'm an Ocean. This is what we do. This is all we are. We run cons and we steal. We're criminals," Deb said proudly.

"I know-" Lou began to say.

"No, you don't know. Look, if this is all too much that's okay. I thought you enjoyed it, but if that's not the case, there's no harm in leaving now. We're great partners and I'd hate to lose you in that way. But I could never force you to follow in my families footsteps," Debbie said.

"Deb, I will follow you to the ends of the ends of the Earth, but please, just think about it. We could have something more. We deserve that," Lou said. Deb nodded and then turned away to look back out at the sunset which was now halfway down the sky.

"Please, let's just celebrate for tonight, can we talk about this later?" Debbie begged. Lou sighed, but she nodded. They then stared at each other for a minute, talking the way they knew best. Once the sun dipped below the grungy streets, their lips met. Their kiss was soft and slow. Lou broke the kiss only to glide her lips down Debbie's neck as the sun did across the sky.

********

Right as she arrived at the hotel the sun was already starting to sink below the horizon. Lou quickly got out her phone and set a picture to Debbie with the caption: "Soon I'll be watching the sun go down with you."

Lou looked down at her phone and watched the 'deliver' sign to change to 'read'. There was no response as usual, but it still comforted her to know that at least Debbie was looking at them. She then made her way up to her hotel room where she took a nice hot shower. She debated with herself on whether or not she should send something else to Deb, but she decided against it. Once her hair was dry, she curled up in the king size bed and fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh come on Deb, you are going to have to respond to her at some point," Tammy said as she watched the woman slip her phone back into her pocket. Deb shook her head and began to make a break for it up the stairs. Tammy was quick though and grabbed Deb's hand before she slipped off. It was Friday and the other women were out at Lou's club. Deb, as always, stayed behind and Tammy decided to stay to due to the fact that the kids had no babysitter and she wanted to make sure Deb wasn't going to do anything stupid.

"Tammy please," Debbie choked out.

"I know this is hard. God, I know. But she misses you just as much as you miss her," Tammy said softly. Deb looked down at the stairs and took in a deep breath. Did Lou really miss her as much as she missed Lou? She was the one who suggested this trip, who wanted this trip, who made it a point to be gone for as long as she possibly could be.

"Deb, there are a lot of things that happened when you went to jail. But the one thing that never changed, that never wavered was Lou's love for you. She came to my house, crying, every night for months. She couldn't eat or sleep or any basic human functions. She was a mess. I think it was about a year and a half before she ever stepped outside to go anywhere but to my house, the club she owns now or to the liquor store down the street. Her drinking problem got really bad, so bad that she almost died of alcohol poisoning at the club-" Tammy divulged. Tears were slowly dropping onto the metal staircase just like the pieces of Deb's heart. Tammy wrapped the brunette woman in her arm and helped her up the stairs. Deb dragged her feet as she followed Tammy into her and Lou's room. Deb audibly groaned as she entered the room. She hadn't slept there since Lou left, to her, it was just too empty and the smell of Lou made her sad. Tammy fought Deb a bit trying to get her to lay down. Finally, once Deb quit fighting, Tammy tucked them both in and pulled Deb into her arms.

"I'm not telling this to make you feel bad Deb. What I'm trying to say is that she loves you. She misses you. She spent 5 years 8 month and 12 days mourning you. While she dragged herself out of that really bad place, she did it for you. She did it because she believed, despite everything you guys put yourselves through, that your relationship was going to survive. That no matter how far apart you guys were or how many years had come and gone, that you were it. You were her "The End". And this is just another part of your story that she'll get to tell the kids and grandkids. This is her way of realizing that you guys made it. That this right here is real," Tammy explained. Deb nodded and cried softly into her friend's chest. It was the first time she'd really ever shown any emotion about the subject. Every time Lou brought it up, Debbie would shove any sort of emotion other than happiness for Lou deep down into the depths of her ocean, but they always seemed to bubble up to the surface.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lou woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing. She reached over and grabbed it off its charger and looked to see who messaged her.

JLBRD-> Lou: *I hope you've had a good trip so far, I miss you LuLu*

Lou's heart almost jumped out of its cage as she read the text. She quickly replied back.

Lou-> JLBRD: *I miss you too Jailbird, I miss you more than you'll ever know*. The little whoosh barely got done before her phone buzzed again.

JLBIRD-> Lou: *I think I have a pretty good idea given I miss you more*. Lou smirked as she read the message. While Deb and Lou never really had the "I love you more" fight, they were always trying to one up the other.

Lou-> JLBRD: *I won't argue but only because it's such a beautiful day. I love you baby, I'll message you when I'm done for the day*. Deb left the message on read, which was to be expected. She truly wasn't good at goodbyes, even over the phone or via text. Lou grabbed a clean pair of jeans which she covered with a thick pair of sweats, a white t-shirt which she also covered with a heavy wool sweater, the scarf Deb bought her, and her trusty leather jacket and set out for the day.

She took the scenic route through the park which took almost all day. She stopped often to take pictures, took a few detours due to the ice and snow, and rode through a few parts, again and again, trying to find more buffalo. The great mid-west wasn't as grandiose as the wild west, but it had its stories and the feeling of freedom and independence flowed nipped at her like the crisp February air.

After she was done with the park, she went into a small Italian restaurant and ate dinner. As she ate, she could feel eyes staring at her. She turned around a few times only to find couples conversing at their booths or other bikers at the bar watching the game. She then canvased the restaurant to see if there were any cameras Nine could hack into. She found only one near the bar, and luckily for her was pointed in her direction. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone to text Nine.

Lou-> NineBall: *I'm at Lucy's Italian Restaurant in Medora, North Dakota. I need eyes on this place*.

NineBall-> Lou: *In. Need?* Lou looked around and then looked up at the camera. She rubbed her eyes and then scratched her back. Immediately she could see the camera's lens begin to move, zooming in and out.

NineBall-> Lou: *Red cap, black jacket. Emerald green*. Lou nodded at the camera just before the waitress came back with her chicken alfredo. She took off her jacket and while doing so, she caught a glimpse of the guy looking at her. She had seen him before, he was the CVS in Washington, Pennsylvania and at the gas station back in Des Moines, Iowa. Lou sighed before taking a bite of her food. This was going to be a very long trip now that someone was on her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late update, I've been working on my other fic and my family was in town for a week. Thank you again for your continued support on this story. Long ride ahead of us, but we are getting closer to the women's forever home. I know some of you start winter break now so I hope for all you students out there that you get a nice long brain break. I know I need mine. Have a great night/day whenever you are reading this! Kudos and comments are always appreciated. 
> 
> xoxo


	30. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Rose and Daphne are dealing with everything including Lou's absence.

With Lou gone and Deb down in the dumps, Rose and Daphne mainly stayed together in Daphne's apartment. They would come over whenever they were called, but it had only been a few days and they figured Deb would want to be alone for this part. No one truly understood those two, but if anything Daphne understood Deb the most when it came to what she wanted and needed. Their jobs were similar and their upbringings hand some overlap. And if she had to be away from Rose for more than a week, she'd be a complete shut-in.

In the meantime, they spent their days packing up Daphne's apartment or working on their own individual projects. They had already moved the majority of their stuff but they didn't want to completely move until the rest of the group left. They knew it was going to be hard for everyone once Lou left and they wanted to be with the rest of the group. Plus Rose was extremely worried about Claude's trial. She was the most nervous about the entire ordeal. For the first 5 months after the heist, she had a recurring dream about her getting caught. Sometimes a few of the others would get caught too, but it was always her. She'd wake up sweating or shaking.

********

"Daphne!" Rose yelled. Daphne's eyes immediately opened and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Rose's body. She pulled the shaking woman's body into her arms and rocked her gently.

"I'm right here baby, I'm right here," Daphne cooed softly. Rose nodded and clung to the taller woman and shivered.

"The dream again?" Daphne asked softly. Rose just nodded. Daphne sighed softly and held her lover close. She was getting worried. Rose hadn't had a decent night's sleep since before the heist. Her anxiety was taking over and her body was starting to show it. The dark marks under her eyes were turning from knock-off Coach bags to luxurious Gucci bags. She also had lost 10 lbs. Rose kept telling her it was fine, but deep down she knew it wasn't and that Rose couldn't continue on living this way. Their relationship as new as it was, was also taking a hit. It had been 80-Daphne and 20-Rose for the past 3 months.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess," Rose whispered.

"No, it's okay. I know this is stressful," Daphne said soothingly.

"You don't have to stay you know," Rose said sadly. Daphne shook her head and took the older woman's face into her hands and looked into Rose's dark brown eyes.

"I'm staying right here Rosie. I'm not going anywhere and next week you'll have all the other women too. We'll be able to go over everything and hopefully, your mind will be put more at ease. But even if that weren't the case, I am never going anywhere. I-I love you Rose" Daphne said softly. She bit her lip softly as this was the first time either one of them had said those 8 letters which fit perfectly into 3 words. Rose's eyes got doey and that smile that Daphne would kill for spread across her face.

"You're too good to me Daph, I love you too," Rose smiled. Daphne's chest rose and fell easier as the physical weight of those words fell off.

Rose looked up into Daphne's eyes, their faces gravitating towards each other. Their lips touched softly at first. While it was not their first official kiss, this felt new. There was a certain softness and openness about this kiss. It's as if all the dating jitters were gone and they were settling into their new life as an actual couple. One that people would die to make a movie about.

Daphne's hands gently ran up the soft fabric that hugged Rose's body tightly. Rose always slept in lingerie type night-gowns, not that she complained, she absolutely loved it. Rose melted into Daphne's touch which was not normal for her. She hadn't been with anyone in over 10 years and on top of that, Daphne was so young. It baffled her sometimes why such a young beautiful woman like her would want someone as old and batty as her. She doubted herself often, but tonight was not one of those. She was too exposed already to turn back and it felt nice finally letting someone take care of her.

Daphne slowly flipped them so that she was on top of the smaller woman. She began gently kissing down Rose's jawline which prompted a soft moan out of the woman beneath her. Daphne couldn't help but smile as the sound softly caressed her ears. This was their first time being so intimate. She wasn't sure how far Rose would let her go, but no matter what she was not going to let anything ruin this moment. Her lips slowly danced across the curly haired woman's neck and down to her collarbone. Rose's skin burned each time Daphne's soft wet lips touched her body. The feeling of someone on her was electrifying. Her nerves were exploding with every touch, magnifying it by at least 10. Another thing she noticed was that her panties were getting awfully damp. After all this time, Rose was worried she had lost all sexual desires or drive, but the moment she saw Daphne's picture in Lou's loft that day, her core said otherwise.

"Don't stop," Rose whispered softly. Daphne shook her head and kept leaving her trail of kisses and soft marks. She knew not to make them too dark because; for one, they weren't out yet, two, they both had to be out in the public eye a lot and marks of any kind would draw much-unwanted attention, and three, Daphne wasn't sure what kind of things Rose was into and she didn't want to push this too far and ruin the moment. The brunette's hand slowly slipped underneath Rose's nightgown and rested itself on her hip.

"May I?" Daphne asked as she looked up into Rose's dark brown eyes. Rose simply nodded and laid her head back against the pillow. Daphne gently pushed the silk fabric up the small woman's frame and up over her head. It was dark, but Daphne could still see everything she wanted to. A soft gasp escaped her lips which caused Rose's cheeks to turn about five shades darker.

"Oh hush darling, I'm nothing.." Rose trailed off. Instead of telling her to shut up which would have been very Daphne of her, she decided to show her instead. The brunette's lips wrapped around Rose's nipple softly.

"Oh god," Rose moaned. Daphne smiled against her nipple. Her tongue began to flick gently against the raised nub which caused a slight bit of squirming from the woman beneath her. Once she got the nipple hard enough to compete with a diamond, she moved onto the other one. It was already erect and ready for her tongue.

"Daphne.." Rose moaned.

"Yes darling?" Daphne said without looking up.

"I-I want you," Rose whispered.

"Whatever my flower wants, my flower gets," Daphne cooed. Rose could feel her cheeks reddening about 3 more shades as she heard the pet name. Calling each other flower was an inside joke between the two. It was more personal than 'baby' or 'darling' which Rose happened to call just about everyone. Their names/nicknames were a never-ending motif in their lives and in their relationship also so it just made sense.

Rose shifted slightly once the flick of Daphne's tongue became almost enough to make her cum. Daphne read this and moved her mouth down Rose's torso. While she would've loved to linger, the younger woman knew how uncomfortable Rose was about her stomach. The slight pooch that sat at the bottom of her stomach never went away despite the extensive dieting. She could also smell Rose's arousal which made leaving the older woman's stomach a bit easier.

Before the brunette took the lace underwear between her teeth, she asked one more time, "may I?"

"Yes, I'm ready," Rose stuttered. The quiver in her answer was not due to nerves like usual, instead, it was replaced by pure anticipation. 10 plus years without anyone besides herself paying attention to her core. The mere thought of it was almost enough to drench the sheets.

Daphne slowly grazed her teeth against Rose's legs as she dragged the underwear off. Goosebumps rose whenever her teeth touched.

Small whimpers escaped Rose's lips. She couldn't help herself, nor did she want to. She hadn't felt this good in so long. Daphne kissed back up the older woman's legs, making sure every blemish and scar was carefully loved.

As she split Rose's legs apart, her mouth watered at the sight before her. Rose's juices glistening in the little light the slipped through the cracks in the curtains from the street lights outside. Her lips blooming out, ironically, like a rose.

Daphne laid between her lover's legs and nuzzled her nose into Rose's inner thigh. The liquid coming from Rose's core dripped onto the sheets as her body waited for the main event.

"Oh fuck!" Rose moaned the second her core felt Daphne's gentle touch. The younger woman's tongue explored the older woman slowly. While she had never been with a woman like this, everything felt natural. Her tongue swirled around between Rose's folds. She took her time because despite Rose's obvious enjoyment she knew sometimes what the body wanted didn't always match what the mind or heart wanted. She never wanted to make the woman beneath her uncomfortable. They both spent too much of their outside life uncomfortable, together they both just wanted to be safe and secure.

"Daph, I need you," Rose begged. Daphne nodded and softly placed her lips around the woman's swollen clit. The noise that came out of Rose's mouth was absolutely primal. Her whole body shook as the nerve endings burst like fireworks on the fourth of July. Daphne wrapped her arms around Rose's legs and held her body down. Rose was thankful she didn't have to restrain herself. If this is how she was going to react after one touch, how was she going to survive an orgasm?

"God you're so perfect," Daph mumbled against Rose's clit. Rose's hips bucked as she felt the vibrations. Daphne's words were better than any vibrator she had ever used, and she shamefully had used just about everyone.

Daphne's tongue flicked Rose's clit over and over again and each time Rose reacted stronger than the time before. To give Rose a new experience, Daphne switched up her movements as often as she could. She'd suck and then write a few letters of the alphabet. Then she'd do figure 8s before going back to long strokes.

"You feel so good," Rose praised. Daphne smiled as she heard those words. Her confidence was building each flick but this solidified that she indeed was making her lover happy.

It's another 10 minutes before Rose lets out another small praise, "oh baby you're the absolute best."

Daphne kept moving her tongue in intervals. Before long, Rose's legs are shaking and her breathing is short. Soft high pitched whimpers fill the apartment which is her tell tail sign that she's close. A sign Daphne would have to hear a few more times before she put two and two together.

"I'm gonna-" Rose began to say. Her words quickly got lost in her whimpers as she felt that long lost feeling building in her stomach. She truly didn't know how much longer she would last, and they had never discussed the power dynamic of their relationship. She had been with men before who demanded she ask for permission before cumming and she'd been with men who couldn't even make her cum.

A question Daphne never expected to hear quietly slipped out of Rose's lips, "may I?"

"Of course," Daphne hummed against Rose's bud. Rose nodded and finally let herself go. A few flicks later, the overwhelming feeling of bliss burst from the pit of her stomach and seeped into her veins. Her heart pumped the blood in her veins which simultaneously spread her orgasm throughout her entire body. All that unfamiliar energy expressed itself through her legs. They shook violently and her hips would buck unexpectedly.

Daphne held her lover down gently. She wanted Rose to feel all of this, but she didn't want the woman to hurt herself or accidentally hurt her with the wild movements of her legs.

Once Rose's body finally calmed down, Daphne laid beside her and pulled the smaller woman into her arms. Rose clung to her lover and buried her face in the other woman's sturdy chest.

"Thank you," Rose whispered sleepily.

"No, thank you my flower," Daph smiled. She kissed the top of the curly haired woman's head.

"I love you," Rose muttered. Daphne's heart almost jumped out of her throat as she heard those sacred 3 words again.

"I love you too," Daphne smiled. After a few minutes of no sound or movement from the woman who now laid on the brunette, Daph looked down and saw the most beautiful sight. Rose's eyes were fluttering and her mouth slightly hung open. This was the first time Rose looked peacefully as she slept. A sight Daphne would cherish forever. A lot was happening for this new couple tonight, but none of it felt rushed.

********

"How do you think Lou's doing?" Rose asked without looking up from her book.

"I'm sure she's fine, but she probably misses Deb more than anything," Daph said.

"I don't think I could do that," Rose said.

"Ride a motorcycle?" Daphne asked.

"No silly. Be away from you for more than a day or two," Rose smiled. Daphne just smiled and went back to reading her new script.

"Flower, I'm serious. I don't think I could," Rose said as she looked up from her book. Daphne's eyes met hers once she noticed the shift in tone.

"Well luckily you'll never have to be," Daphne smiled. Rose nodded and went back to reading her book.

*buzz buzz*

Daphne reached for her phone. It was a text from Tammy.

Momma Bear-> Daphne: *Lunch tomorrow at the loft. 12 pm. Claude's sentencing will be decided.*

Daphne liked the message and put her phone back down. Normally she would usually responded, especially with it having to do with Claude. But she didn't want to worry Rose at the moment. Plus something about Rose's earlier statement had her full attention and she didn't want to get too far off topic before she addressed it.

"So, no more than one or two days?" Daphne asked nonchalantly. Rose put down her book and took a deep breath.

"Yes darling. Despite needed my alone time and you needing yours, I now know to some degree what those two feel. I've never had this with someone before. Never needed anyone but myself. But with you, everything is changing and I'm finding myself needing you more than I like to admit. I want you at my shows. I want to be at your premieres and on your sets. Being near you makes me calm. Makes the whole Claude thing a little easier to deal with, despite.. you know," Rose trailed off. They hadn't really discussed the whole Claude thing. While Daphne was acting, it still rubbed Rose the wrong way. It wasn't so much that they were physical with each other, it was more it reminded Rose that Daphne could literally get anyone, and yet she was in bed with a 50-year-old hag. It made her so self-conscious she could feel her skin picking itself off her muscles and running away.

Daphne got up out of her chair and sat beside Rose. She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman and kissed her cheek.

"I only want you Rosie. Plus, we're going to be growing this garden pretty soon," Daphne whispered. Despite being the one to ask, she sometimes forgot that once they moved officially to California, they were going to explore options on having a child. Rose took a deep breath and nodded.

"Indeed we are," Rose smiled. While they hadn't picked a name, they were going to stay with the flower theme. It just fit them so perfectly.

"So loft tomorrow?" Rose asked.

"Mhmm, lunch. Also, Claude's sentencing gets decided." Daphne replied. Rose smiled and kissed Daphne's cheek softly.

"I think once I know that, I'll be less worried. And then maybe I can actually wrap my head around our growing garden," Rose whispered. Daphne smiled as she heard Rose finally use her terminology. The brunette couldn't wait to start plant some real roots down with the woman of her dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late updates. I am in a better head space at the moment, hopefully I can keep that up.  
> I hope you enjoyed the full Rophne chapter. I don't think I've done one before. I'm still trying to figure out their relationship for myself and how I picture them so bare with me. Let me know what you think about their dynamics.  
> Anywhoo, thanks for sticking with me. Have a great night/day whenever you're reading this!! Xoxo


	31. Sentencing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude's sentencing hearing is today. Will the ladies hear good news or will new secrets spill out as quickly as bad news does?

It was February 21st, almost exactly a week since Lou left for her trip. She was now in Montana visiting Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. She had sent a few more photos to Deb since the last time they talked. Despite Deb opening up a bit, she still left the majority of the messages on "read".  Tammy kept trying to convince her to sext or even have some phone sex, but Deb was not having any of it. She wasn't ready to open herself up that way quite yet. She still had her insecurities from the fiasco that happened not too long ago. While she and Lou had made up, it still haunted her. The shower wasn't as pleasant as it used to be. She wanted to be naked for as little time as possible. She felt too exposed, too vulnerable. Her body felt foreign to her some days as she'd stare at it in the full-length mirror that Lou had insisted they get. The minute Lou left, she covered up a little more than half of it so the black paper met her just where her breasts met her stomach. This also affected the way she felt about clothes and getting dressed. She wore baggier clothes so that her figure was left for the imagination to take over if anyone even bothered to imagine what she actually looked like. Her hair was always down covering her face, giving it less and less definition. Unfortunately for her, those were things she was just starting to enjoy again. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing. Deb looked down at her phone and it was a phone call from Rusty. She picked it up and answered. 

"Hello?" Debbie said. 

"Hey, I'm at the courthouse. Claude's sentencing hearing is about to be over," Rusty said. 

"Alright, the women should be here any minute," Deb whispered. 

"You alright Deb?" Rusty asked.

"Yeah, I will be once this is all over," Deb sighed. Rusty shifted as he heard the slight waver in her voice. Due to the fact that he spent a good portion of his life around the Oceans, he could tell she was irritated, maybe even a little tired. It was one of their tells. It was so slight that if you hadn't studied the way they talked, you'd never hear it. The "this" she mentioned included Danny, Lou, and everything else standing in the way of her California.

"Well let's take it one step at a time. I promise you'll get it," Rusty whispered. 

Keys rattled and footsteps flooded the room beneath her. Deb put on the NYPD hoodie and met the ladies downstairs. She waved to them all and they all noticed the phone in her hand. They wasted no time and all gathered around the living room. Tammy gathered the children and rushed them into their room and put on a movie. 

"You're on speaker Rust," Deb said as she put the phone down in the middle of the table. The ladies plus Harold all grabbed their spot and said their quick hello to Rusty. Lucas and DJ were in their mother's laps when everyone got settled. 

"Alright, the decision should come out any minute," Rusty said. Nine Ball pulled out her laptop and got to work. She pulled up the cameras at the front door of the courthouse. There was a mob of reporters outside and heavy security inside. 

"Reporters are moving," Nine interjected. Tammy and Constance began to watch the screen with Nine. Rusty then began to move with the crowd. A few minutes passed with no words being exchanged. Deb then heard his own tell, a sharp inhale and a slow breath to cover up the fast intake of air.  

"What is it?" Debbie rushed. 

"He's.." Rusty trailed off. Deb could hear Rusty's jaw hit the concrete floor. Nine's eyes got wide as she pushed the laptop toward the middle. There was Claude and his lawyers pushing their way through the crowd of reporters. Rose grabbed the remote and immediately turned the TV to channel five. 

"Here reporting live at the Toussaint case, it appears it has resulted in a mistrial. The cause of the mistrial has not been disclosed but a source inside hinted at new evidence being submitted or mishandling of evidence. The trial may proceed again on a future date, but as of now, Claude Becker is free to go. Thank you this is Michelle Cullen with channel five," the woman reported. 

The air in the room suddenly became very scarce. Were there even any words to describe the feeling in the room? If there were, no one could come up with anything. Rusty didn't even have anything to add. The line was just filled with chatter from all the other reporters and etc. Tess and Tammy held their infants close and closed their eyes. The room deflated of any hope or happiness. 

"I should go," Rusty said softly breaking the silence. 

"Yeah, thanks Rusty, we'll be in contact soon," Deb choked out. The line went dead and so did everyone else's mood. They were so sure John Frazier had an airtight case. Deb had planned everything so well and now it had all gone to shit. Claude was free and Lou would be furious. She physically shivered at the thought of Lou's reaction. Tammy tilted her head as she watched her stoic leader physically show signs of distress. Deb looked up and caught the blonde woman's gaze. Their eyes fluttered as they talked back and forth. The lump in Tammy's stomach crawled up her throat as the nerves caused her to bounce Lucas on her thigh. 

"So what does this mean?" Daphne cut the silence again. 

"I guess this means he's free and I think he has a pretty good idea of who set him up," Constance said as she looked at Deb. 

"If that is the case, then he only knows about me, and maybe Lou. All of you are safe. Do not worry," Debbie said calmly. 

"How can we be so sure, love? I mean, I'm sorry, but we were all at that Ball in one way or another. Daphne was Claude's date and I dressed Daphne. If Claude gave them your name, they are going to come after us for answers," Rose added frantically. This was not how she imagined this going down. She had just gotten over her nightmare and surely it would come back again tonight. Daphne wrapped her arms around Rose and kissed her forehead. 

"Should someone tell Maa?" Constance whispered softly. Deb's heart hit the pit of her stomach almost as hard as Rusty's jaw hit the concrete. 

"I-I can do it," Harold chimed in. All the women looked at him softly. He then looked at Deb because her eyes were the only ones that mattered when it came to this. Deb couldn't bring herself to look at him. It should be her, but she couldn't bring herself to even say anything on the subject. How could she tell Lou that she was right and that they should have left him out of it? How could she tell her that their future was now in jeopardy because she couldn't let go of him? How could she say that Claude Becker was the reason they couldn't be together again? A visible weight was pressing down on Deb as she sunk deeper and deeper into the love seat her and Lou once shared. 

"Deb..." Harold whispered. Deb finally looked up into the Australian man's crystal blue eyes. He nodded and slipped off into the other room. Amita followed closely and wrapped her arm around her man's. 

"May I?" Tess asked as she pointed at the computer. Nine Ball raised her eyebrow but nodded. She handed Nine Ball DJ and picked up the computer. She began to go back through the footage at the courthouse. 

"Whatchu lookin for Tess?" Nine asked as she played with the boy. 

"There's something I need to check," Tess said softly as her eyes frantically searched the screen. Nine Ball watched the woman as she went through the footage. She was actually really surprised at how well Tess could operate her system. She fumbled a few times, but she got the hang of it quicker than she believed anyone ever could. 

"There!" Tess said loudly. The rest of the woman crowded around the computer screen to look at what Tess was searching for. Deb made her way there last and stood directly behind Tess. She looked at the man Tess had picked out. The women's expressions matched each other perfectly.

"That's Linus.." Debbie gasped. 

"Excuse me, what?" Tammy asked. She then looked at the screen closer and her expression lined up with the other two. 

"Oh my god..." Daphne whispered. 

"There was no way Frazier didn't have an airtight case, Linus must've done something," Tammy said. 

"Why? Why would Linus have anything to do with Claude?" Daphne asked. Her arms were still protectively wrapped around Rose who was too in her own head to contribute anything. 

"I-I don't have an answer for that honestly," Deb said sadly. For the first time in her life, she felt like she had absolutely no control over what was about to happen. She had no real tangible answers. She had no grasp on the reigns of the wagon that was about to drag her down a 30 ft cliff. She had no voice in whether she told those horses to stop or turn a different way. The carriage was about to plummet down to the depths of a ravine and the worst part of it all is that she had a whole caravan of innocent people who were about to go down with her. 

"I-I'm sorry to ask, but could this be about Danny?" Tess questioned. Debbie's eyebrows furrowed at the suggestion. Tammy closed her eyes and tried to remember anything that Linus said over the course of their interactions that could have pointed to this. Her memory was almost perfect, and it had to be with all the lies she had to keep up with. Her job required her to put on different faces and be anyone and anything. The wealth of knowledge that she stored in that big beautiful brain of hers kept her, Lou, and Deb alive more times that either of them could count on their combined 30 fingers. But she couldn't find anything, there was nothing in his language or even in his demeanor that pointed in this direction. He had always been so loyal, and it didn't make sense after all these years to flip sides. 

\------------------------------------------------------

Rusty hopped on the nearest metro and made his way over to the loft. He had been keeping something from the ladies for far too long. He knew this was his fault and he had to come clean. It had been eating away at him ever since it happened. It was stupid for him to think the could handle the situation on his own, but he didn't want to worry Deb anymore than she already was. Danny was his responsibility and Deb had become his once Danny went away. Protecting her was his last mission and he wasn't about to fail. 

After taking a taxi from the station to the loft, he walked in and got on his knees in front of Deb. The ladies had just finished an extremely light lunch given no one was really in the mood to eat after the news. She stood in the middle of the loft looking down at the man she once had a school-girl crush on back when she was 11. 

"I have a confession to make.." Rusty trailed off. Deb swallowed hard and looked straight ahead toward the door. 

"This is my fault," Rusty continued. The rest of the ladies looked at him with questioning eyes. 

********

"Linus wait!" Rusty called after the smaller man. Their shadows moved closer to each other as the dim club light cast their figures against the brick wall beside them. The steam from beneath the streets surrounded the smaller man, hiding his true emotions. As Rusty stepped into his space, a cool Autumn breeze blew the steam away. Once the steam was clear, Rusty saw the tornado of anger swirling around the brown-haired man. It engulfed him just as the steam had.  

"They betrayed me!" Linus growled. 

"How do you expect them to trust you? You've given them nothing. You and I both know you're hiding more," Rusty said.  

"I gave them everything I had and they don't want me. It's Danny's missions all over again. I'm done. I'm done with the Oceans. You should be too. All he's ever done was get you into some bullshit, that you've had to pull yourself out of. What has that family actually done for you?" Linus yelled. 

"Everything!" Rusty yelled back with so much force his body physically shook. Linus took a step back as the raw power of Rusty's answer hit him. If were possible, steam would be coming off Rusty as his blood boiled at a new high temperature. His eyes blown, jaw locked, and knuckles white from clenching them so hard. 

"Danny, Deb, Mr. Ocean, and Mrs. Ocean have given me everything Linus. I will never abandon them. There is nothing on this planet that you could offer me that would make me turn against them," Rusty made clear. 

"Then you are a fool, Benedict is offering $150,000,000 for Danny's head, and after all they've put me through, I think it's time to let go of this fantasy. I will never be one of them, and neither will you," Linus hissed. Rusty drew back his arm and punched Linus in the jaw so hard the crack of someone's bone could be heard out on the street. Linus picked himself up off the ground and licked off the blood coming from his busted lip. The November air stung both of the men's open wounds but no one bothered to move. 

"We will get him before you do," Linus threatened. 

"I'll kill you before you lay a hand on him or Deb," Rusty rebutted. 

"May the best Ocean's bitch win," Linus bowed and walked off into the night. 

"FUCK!" Rusty yelled as he took his frustration out on the nearest trashcan. Once the trash can had been completely bent out of shape and the scraps littered all over the alley, Rusty picked up his phone and texted Lou. 

Rusty-> Lou: *He's gone rogue*. Not even a minute later, his phone buzzed back with a reply. 

Lou-> Rusty: *Fucking hell. Well, keep this from Deb, please. We will figure this out*. 

Rusty shook his head. He hated keeping secrets from the Oceans, especially Deb. Because when she found out, she raised all types of hell and that was not something anyone ever wanted to do. Rusty began to type again. 

Rusty-> Lou: *If she finds out, or something goes wrong, she's never going to forgive us*. 

Lou-> Rusty: *Let me deal with that. You just keep your eye on Linus. Maybe you can convince him that you will turn on them, and figure out their plan*

Rusty-> Lou: *Good luck*. 

Lou-> Rusty: *Same to you Iron Man*. Rusty smiled as he read his old nickname. It had been given to him a few days after they had met, which happened to be on a job. In that short amount of time, they had become extremely close. Because as Linus put it so crudely, they were the "Ocean's bitches". Both would lie down their lives for Danny or Deb without question and they'd do it 100 times over. They were physically and emotionally dependant on them for God knows what reason. But they were both spun in the same web and knew that whatever happened, they'd stick together. If it had to be, it would be those 4 against everyone and everything. 

********

The room was completely silent as Rusty told his story. Once he was done, there was no sign of any emotion coming off the woman whose feet he was kneeling by. He looked up at her like a puppy who had just created a mess in the house. Guilt and shame radiated off him which got a mix of reactions from the others. 

Tammy, Rose, and Tess were visibly upset by the story. Constance, Nine, and Daphne were more shocked than anything. Harold's balls for fists clearly displayed what he felt, and Amita was just sad. She stroked her man's arm slowly, trying to get him to relax a little, but it was no use. This whole thing was too much for him. He never wanted to be part of the criminal enterprise that his sister followed. He had begged her too many times to come home and stay away, but she never listened. Now they were all in very real danger of not only going to prison but possibly being killed. And he knew if it came down to it, Lou would take the fall so that Deb would never have to step inside another concrete box with steel bars as a reminder of what was being missed on the outside. That scared him to his very core. He couldn't lose his big sister that way. He was brought back to reality as he felt a tug at his t-shirt. He looked down into the eyes of his girlfriend. His girlfriend. Someone else he couldn't lose.  

"Deb.. please, I'm so sorry. I should've come to you before. I had no idea he'd drag Claude into this," Rusty whimpered. Deb ignored him and walked past him up toward the stairs. All eyes followed the brunette as she disappeared upstairs and presumably into her room. 

"Oh Rusty..." Tess whispered. He looked over at her with the same puppy look. 

"Why didn't you say something?" Tess asked. 

"I-I made a promise," Rusty said brokenly. 

"I think you just got the worse sentence possible," Tammy added. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize again for the terrible upload schedule. I don't think I'll get one down until I get settled back into the rhythm of school. Thank you all for being so patient and still reading this story. It means so much to me to have all your support. I hope you are still as in love with this story as when you started. Good luck to those of you who are back at school or have to go back soon. We can do it! Have a wonderful night/day whenever you are reading this. 
> 
> xoxo


	32. On The Road Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lou is on the road when she gets the call from Harry about Claude's sentencing. Will she be mad like Deb suspects and blame Deb for the whole ordeal, or is there more to the story Deb doesn't know?

Lou was in Montana now after spending a few days going through the Dakotas and Minnesota. She didn't plan on staying here more than a night and 2 days. She wanted to get up into Canada and then into Washington as fast as she could as she wanted to take the most time specifically on the west coast. She made a rash decision to cross the northern border when she realized how easy it was. She had her passport and everything, plus an old contact of hers was living in Vancouver and with the whole Danny thing, her friend might just be able to give her some advice. 

During this trip, she hadn't thought much about Danny or Claude. Her mind was solely on Deb and their future together. Though given today's date, she did expect a text or call about Claude and how he was going to spend at least 5 years 8 months and 12 days in prison. She looked down at her watch, a new one that Deb had got her for right before the trip. While she had an Apple watch, she preferred the high-end timeless watches like Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Chopard, and etc. So while on this trip she opted to wear the new Rolex Submariner 116613 Two Tone Blue Dial. It was already 2 pm, which meant it was 5 pm in New York. She then checked her Apple watch to make sure she hadn't missed any calls. Nothing.  **What was taking them so long**?Lou thought to herself. She was now getting worried that something was wrong. 

When she reached the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, she sent a text to Tammy. 

Lou-> Tim-Tam: *Hey is everything okay?* It takes much longer than Lou would have liked for a response to come through. 

Tim-Tam-> Lou: *Is this a good time? Harold is about to call you.* Just as she received Tammy's text, a message from Harold came in. 

Not So Little Bro-> Lou: *Hey sis can I call you?* Lou felt her stomach sink. Harry had a fear of making phone calls, and if he was willing to get over that to call her, it must be extremely important. Another ding came in and it was from Rusty. 

Rusty-> Lou: *She knows about Linus.*

"Fucking hell, why must everything go to shit when I'm gone," Lou said aloud. Lou took a deep breath and responded to Tammy first. Why was it that every time she left all hell broke loose. 

Lou-> Tim-Tam: *Yeah, I'm about to call him now.* 

Lou-> Not So Little Bro: *Give me a second, I'll call you in a second.*

Lou-> Rusty: *Let me handle her please?* While Lou was used to handling multiple conversations at once, this set was particularly stressful. Tammy left the message on read and Harry just reacted to her message with a thumbs up which let her know he'd wait for her call. 

Rusty-> Lou: *That's what got us into this mess in the first place. You said you'd handle it and now Rapunzel has locked herself in her tower.* Lou sighed again. She had left messages for Linus but he never replied to any of them. She even went to the dingy night club that he frequented but he was never there. Everything was falling apart around her, but it wasn't even her world that was falling. It was Deb's. Deb's stability was failing and she wasn't there. Again, she was going to be the reason Deb had doubts. She felt like she was at the amusement park and the next stop was going to be the vomit comet. After a few minutes of inhaling the crisp Montana air, she dialed Harold's number. 

"Hey sis, how's Montana?" Harry said with a surprising amount of excitement behind his voice. 

"Uh it's good so far, I just got to the park. It's cold, but it's beautiful and the fresh air is absolutely wonderful right now," Lou said. 

"I'm glad you're having a good time. You definitely needed this trip.." Harry trailed off slightly. 

"What's up bro?" Lou asked trying to cut out all the small talk. Harry paused slightly. He wasn't sure how to start this conversation. How was he suppose to tell her that the man that destroyed her was getting out of jail? How could he tell her that her California may not happen? He couldn't bear to watch that again. Tears began to form in his eyes while his throat closed on itself. 

"Just spit it out Harry, please..." Lou begged softly. 

"I-I..." Harry's voice trembled. 

"Is Deb okay?" Lou asked with a shaky voice. 

"Oh.. uh yeah, she's physically okay. But.. umm, Linus turned on us and got Claude out of jail somehow. There may a new trail in the future, but right now he's free..." Harry said softly. Lou hung her head and shook it softly. Claude? Free? He had to have an idea who set him up. He would immediately suspect Deb, especially if Linus was the one who got him free. He knew about her but as far as he knew, they had never crossed paths.  Of course, this wasn't actually the case. She had stalked him extensively after Deb had brought him up during a late night conversation. The rest of the women were safe though, he had never met them before in their life. Rose was too much of a scatterbrain for him to take her seriously enough. Daphne might be suspected, but either way, his true focus was going to be on Deb. 

"Shit..." Lou mumbled. 

"I-I'm so sorry Lou," Harry said softly. 

"It's not your fault Harry, just keep an eye on Deb for me? She's at more risk than anyone else," Lou said. 

"Of course, though I don't think I'll be much help to her," Harry laughed slightly. They had never been on the best of terms. They had never had a true heart to heart conversation before, and he was sure it wasn't going to start now. 

"Just please Harold?" Lou pleaded. 

"I didn't say I wouldn't. I promise I'll do my best to be there," Harry said. 

"Thank you," Lou whispered. Harry sighed. There wasn't much left for them to discuss. Claude was out. Linus was behind it, and behind him was Benedict. It looked like everyone the Ocean's ever pissed off were joining forces and about to unleash a whole new level of seismic activity that the Ocean's were going to have to bear. 

"Alright well I gotta go bro, I'll talk to you soon, yeah?" Lou said. 

"Yeah, have a good rest of your day Lou, I love you. Be safe," Harry said. 

"You too little bro, if you feel the need, take Amita and yourself back to Australia. You don't need to be caught up in this," Lou advised. 

"Alright Lou, thanks," Harry said. 

"Goodbye Harold," Lou whispered and clicked end. It was now 3 pm and the park was going to close at dark which would descend upon her soon. She decided she'd visit tomorrow and just drive around. She needed to clear her head. 

As she took the highway, a million thoughts clouded her head. Linus was partly her fault, which meant Claude was entirely her fault. She didn't do enough to deal with Linus. She, honestly, just figured he'd fuck off and leave them alone. She had no idea he'd turn against them. But now he that he had, he knew about all of them. He had met every single person in that house including the children. While he didn't know the nature of their family dynamic, he must've figured that they either were planning something or had just completed a heist. That's the only reason why so many people would be in the same place at the same time. Being who he was, he should've picked up on Daphne and Rose immediately despite them barely ever being there. And if Linus was the genius he claimed to be, he would have put two and two together. Which it seemed like he had, otherwise he wouldn't have gotten Claude out of the situation he was in. 

********

"Linus we need to talk," Debbie said over the phone. Lou rolled her eyes at the mention of his name. It had been over 10 years since she even heard his name, but the same feeling of bile burning her throat still occurred. The first time she had met him she had distrusted him. On top of that, he always looked at Deb like prey and as jealous of a person Lou was, it made her skin crawl to know someone so close viewed her this way. Not even Danny could stop his advances sometimes. A hot breath left her lips as Deb mentioned something about him coming over in the next hour. Why did Danny choose Linus to bring this all about? They all had problems with him, why trust him now? Now he knew about their trip to California, he knew about the group of women and he used those greedy eyes to pry into their lives. How much did he know? How much could he tell given all their body language? 

"Can't we meet him somewhere else?" Lou asked. 

"Why? We need to all be together if we are going to find Danny," Deb asked. 

"Because I don't want him figuring out why we all are together. I know he already knows far too much and if he puts two and two together about the Toussiant and Claude, that's another mouth we need to keep shut, and frankly, I don't trust him with that information," Lou huffed. 

"I don't trust him either Lou, but it's not just Danny who's in this. It's you, it's me, and it's Tammy. That's 3 out of our 8, and you know Nine isn't just going to let Tammy face this alone. Plus, I'm sorry but she's too valuable of an asset to just leave up on the shelf," Debbie stressed. 

"But we don't need to drag Daphne, Constance, Rose, Amita or Harold through this. I'm honestly surprised he's not already asked about it. I mean us hanging out with the two people who were there at the Met Gala for sure.. that raises red flags for people like us. Plus you already kicked him out once, what's he going to do when we have to do it again?" Lou added. 

"I understand your concern, don't you think that I've thought about all of this? I know what risks this brings, but I have to also look at what I could possibly be getting out of him for Danny's sake," Deb sighed. She knew the risks and she hated them. Rusty already knew too much, and Linus would soon catch up. But she had to know what he had to offer when it came to Danny. She had to know if he was actually alive or not. 

"Alright... I trust you," Lou conceded. 

"Thank you," Deb whispered. 

*ring ring* 

Deb nodded toward Tammy which prompted her to get the kids up to their room. Lou went over to Rose and Daphne and gave them a choice of whether to retreat into their room or to go back to their apartment. The two decided to go upstairs and watch the kids for Tammy. Constance was already out and Amita and Harry were at his hotel. 

Deb opened the door to Linus and Rusty. Deb shifted and let the two walk by. 

"You look nice this evening Deb," Linus said as she looked her over. 

"Thanks Linus," Deb said. Rusty turned and Deb took his coat like Mrs. Ocean had done countless times. Linus did the same and to Lou's surprise, Deb took his coat and hung it on the rack. Lou gritted her teeth as she watched their interactions. How could Deb still not know about his extreme infatuation, no, obsession with her? 

Tammy and Nine came down from upstairs and met the group at the dining table. Lou sat between Linus and Deb. She possessively wrapped her arm around Deb and leaned forward, making herself more of a physical barrier between them. Deb laid her head on Lou's shoulder and kissed her neck. Lou smiled at her and then looked back at Linus who had rolled his eyes at the gesture. 

"Alright, what did you want to talk about?" Linus asked.

"Well, it's been two months since you first arrived here. After some digging of our own, we have concluded that what you presented us all those weeks ago have some validity. We just want to know if you have any more information," Deb explained. 

"Oh, so now you've realized you need me," Linus smirked. 

"No. We want to touch base and see if there is anything you'd like to add that either contradicts what we've found so that we can completely kick you out of our lives," Lou growled. Linus scowled back which prompted the two to get a little too close for everyone at the table's liking. 

Deb squeezed Lou's hand and whispered, "Lulu.." Lou immediately backed off as her one weakness had been exposed. Linus backed off too as Rusty grabbed the back of his shoulder. 

"What do you know about Tess?" Tammy asked. Tess was asleep upstairs with DJ in Constance's room. Rusty never told Linus about DJ because for one, it wasn't something for him to know, and for two, they asked Rusty to keep him in the dark about it because they wanted to know if he had the same story or any similar facts that Tess had. 

"Tess? Why is she involved in this?" Linus asked a little too quickly. 

"We don't know. That's why we're asking you if you found anything on her. I mean we all know you do your research, Linus. A man like you in this profession wouldn't get far without it. And we all know you're the best at it so, if you know something, you should spit it out," Tammy replied with a twinkle in her eye. Linus smirked a bit at the compliment. He had always enjoyed pretty women stroking his ego, and while it might not have come from Deb, he still held onto it.

"Well, I mean I know she loves the dude, despite him putting her through hell and back more times than any of us can count," Linus began. Lou couldn't help but smile a bit at this. Most of the people married/involved/in love with the Ocean's had been dragged out to sea, dragged underwater and spit out a few more times than they could count. 

"But I mean, based on my research, I think she could be in on it," Linus continued. The whole room's mood shifted as he implicated Tess. 

"Why's that?" Deb inquired. 

"Well despite her love for him, he has dragged her through the ringing. This could be her way of finally breaking free of the man. I mean I'm sorry but he's not an easy guy to deal with and I'm sure he's not the best at being a regular citizen. I mean come on, you Ocean's suck at sitting still," Linus added. 

"Okay, but why do it now? It's been over 10 years since the first heist," Lou challenged. 

"10 years is a long time, and he hadn't really produced anything. No kids, no reliable job. Benedict could have offered to give her all that back," Linus shrugged. Rusty leaned back slightly trying not to give away his disbelief. Linus was smarter than this. If he had actually done his research, he would have known about DJ. While Tess was a private person, with the skills and training that Linus had, there would be no way he would have missed him. So why was he lying? Why was he implicating that Tess had anything to do with this?

"Are you sure that's what you want to go with?" Deb asked. Linus raised his eyebrow and leaned back away from Lou so that he could get a better look at Deb's facial expression. Deb looked at him, waiting for an answer. 

"Go with what? That's all I have. I know it's not much and honestly, it's all just kind of a haunch. But I gave you guys the postcards, I thought it was best to leave the detective work up to you," Linus said defensively. 

"Everyone in this room knows you know more than you are letting on. There is no way you, Linus Caldwell, have just been sitting on your ass for the past 2 months. You have so desperately wanted a chance to prove yourself and this was it. This was your big chance to shine and you've come up with nothing other than maybe it's Tess!" Deb argued. She was now standing and her eyes beat down like red hot lights on the man in question. Linus stood up to meet her gaze, chest puffed out trying his best to seem as mighty as her. 

"How dare you accuse me of lying! I've given you everything. I've given your family everything! And for what? A few million? Which by the way always came with some ungodly side effects. If you were just going to accuse me of lying why the fuck did you bring me here?" Linus boomed. Lou stood between them, shielding Debbie as Linus's knuckles turned white from clenching them so hard. Tammy, Nine, and Rusty were all standing too. Nine was protectively in front of Tammy and Rusty was ready to grab onto Linus before he could do anything too stupid. Lava bubbled up from each of the rising volcanoes. 

"Because I know where Tess is. I know what her motives are, and she would never betray this family," Deb growled. 

"Then why didn't you say so! Like I said everything was based on an educated guess. I know nothing!" Linus shouted

"Oh but now I know something," Deb spat. 

"Oh, and what's that?" Linus goaded.

"You'll never be one of us. You will never be an Ocean," Deb swore. Mt. Linus finally erupted and lunged forward toward Deb. Deb darted quickly to met him but was blocked by Lou, who had one arm wrapping around her back grabbing onto Deb and one swinging. The arm that swung hit Linus square in the side of the face. Rusty grabbed a hold of Linus with a choke hold and pulled him back. Nine jumped on the table protecting Tammy and ready to pounce if Rusty couldn't hold him. 

"Fuck you, Deborah! This isn't over!" Linus yelled as he was being dragged away by Rusty. 

Once Rusty finally got him outside and took him out into the alleyway where unknown to the ladies, Linus would confess his true motives, Lou turned to Deb and pulled her into her arms.  She shook as violently as an erupting volcano.  Lava poured out of Deb causing fumes and sparks to fly. Nine jumped off from the table and wrapped Tammy up into her arms. Tammy was more in shock by everything. She was visibly shaken. She knew this wasn't good and she was now more afraid than ever about their future. 

"Come on, let's just get to bed and we will reevaluate in the morning," Nine suggested. Lou nodded at Nine and each couple went their separate ways to their room. When Lou finally got Deb into their room, she coaked Deb into taking a cold shower to help her cool off. Deb reluctantly complied and headed into the shower. Lou sat on the toilet, not wanting to leave Deb alone. Halfway into Debbie's shower, her phone went off and when she looked down she got the text from Rusty. She quickly made the decision to deal with Linus on her own. 

********

Now that it was pitch dark, Lou decided to circle back and call it a night. As pulled into the hotel she was staying at, she noticed the man that was following her was outside the hotel smoking a cigarette. She quickly backed up and sped off to a new hotel which she crashed at. Laying on the dingy mattress and staring up at the awful popcorn ceiling, all she could think about was Deb and how she had let her down.  Lou regretted ever leaving Deb out of the loop. She knew this wasn't going to bode well for their relationship. Every time she won Deb back over, another string came undone and the whole thing she had built unraveled again. And what was worse is that she knew Deb would think Claude was her fault. She knew Deb would blame herself and be up all night worried about what she was going to think. She figured Deb would assume she'd be mad at her for framing him, which she was still a little bitter about. But none of it was Debbie's fault this time around despite what the brunette thought. This time Lou had a chance to deal with something and she didn't. Now it was coming back to bite her not only in the ass but in the heart too.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, I hope these chapters are filling you with angst and leaving you with a curious mind. This is only the beginning. We have a long bumpy road ahead of us as the ladies aren't even in California yet. More secrets, fluff, angst, smut, and love are to come. Thank you so much for your continued support, it means so much to me. This story has really taken on a life of its own and I've had a chance to speak to so many new people because of it. Have a great night/day whenever you are reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	33. 6 Is A Crowd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tammy and Leslie get ready to take the cross country venture with their 4 kids. It is bittersweet for them both as they leave behind the place that started it all.

"Keri? Derek?" Tammy shouted in the seemingly empty loft. Deb had been locked in her room for the last 4 days and only came out to take and put back a small plate of food which Tammy left for her. The first 3 days she didn't take the food, but the brunette's better judgment reminded her that she indeed need to eat. Tammy and Nine had already packed the minivan up for their upcoming journey to California. Tammy really did not want to leave Deb given the state the woman was in, but Tess, Constance, Amita, and Harold all promised they'd look after her and made sure she'd eat. She only agreed to because she knew Tess was probably the only other person in the group that would get through Deb's thick skull. If it were just up to the others, she'd stay. Nine had also pointed out that the kids were already missing too much school. Tammy knew she was right, and she had to get them enrolled soon. 

"We're in the office Mommy!" Derek called out. Tammy walked there in a hurry. Deb specifically told the kids not to go in there and Tammy was not about to have Deb in any more of a worse mood. 

"What did Auntie Deb tell you about being in here?" Tammy scolded as she saw Roni helping the younger kids grab books. 

"She asked us to come in here," Keri said softly. Tammy raised her eyebrow. While she loved her daughter to pieces, the uncanny resemblance to Debbie at that age was enough for her to question her word at times.

"What do you mean she asked you to come in here?" Tammy asked. 

"She slipped em a note," Roni said as she pulled out a piece of paper from Derek's coat pocket. Tammy took it and read it, "Hey munsters, please go into my office and grab me the 3 books on the coffee table, thank you. Love Aunt Deb<3" 

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tammy said softly. The two kids shrugged and carried the books out of the study. Roni walked downstairs as the two younger ones went to drop off the books. They didn't wait for her to open it as they knew she wasn't in a good mood. 

"Ight is everyone ready to go?" Leslie called up. Tammy looked down from the top of the stairs at her woman holding her youngest in her arms. Tammy couldn't help but smile at the sight. While Leslie held Lucas often, Tammy couldn't help but beam as she watched them interact.

********

"You know you don't have to do that," Tammy said sleepily. Leslie looked back at the half-asleep woman and just shrugged. She had heard Lucas crying and immediately got up to check on him. Tammy had only woken up a few seconds after her but the cocoa colored woman who she adored had beaten her to it. 

"I don't mind, honestly," Leslie said with a smile. She then checked Lucas's diaper and changed it. Tammy smiled as she rested her chin in her hand. She watched the woman carefully, not because she didn't trust her, but because she was so good with him. Ashton was never a hands-on dad, he rarely ever held them and had never changed a diaper in his life. Leslie, on the other hand, was sometimes even more hands-on than she was. Leslie was usually always the first to attend to Lucas's crying or Keri and Derek's squabbles. She was taking to motherhood faster and easier than she did when she first held Derek in her arms.

"Are you sure you don't mind? I'm sure this wasn't your ideal when you pictured how your love life was going to be.." Tammy trailed off. Once Leslie finished changing Lucas, she picked him up and sat down on the bed next to Tammy. She looked directly into the blonde woman's dark brown eyes and said, "You're right, this is not exactly what I imagined when I pictured my future family.." 

Tammy immediately sunk her head, she felt so guilty about dragging Leslie into her complicated mess. Her head didn't hang low for long as Leslie's finger lifted her chin up and made Tammy look into her eyes. 

"But, that's only because I never pictured myself havin a family other than Roni, Tam. I never saw a wife or even a husband. I never saw little human beins. I saw myself alone or shot up before I ever got a chance to begin one. I don't mind that you have an ex-husband. I absolutely do not mind, at all, that you already have kids. 18 years ain't nothing to me. To me, this just means you've lived your life girl. In choosing to be with me, I take that as I am givin you somethin that you were missin out on before. And I take that as a huge win. I take that as you finally takin charge and takin what you want. I couldn't be happier that I am what you want. So stop apologizin to me and just get used to me bein in your life. I ain't leaving," Leslie said with conviction in her voice. 

Tammy's eyes watered as she heard Leslie's confession. Leslie was right. She was finally taking charge of her life and making decisions that made her happy. She chose herself this time around instead of putting the needs of others before her own. She left Ashton, took her kids and moved them into the loft and began a life with someone who truly made her happy. While they seemed like polar opposites on the outside, they actually were pretty similar. Tammy's easy-going side started to show more once she got out of the ridged life in the suburbs. Both were very family oriented and geniuses in their own fields. They both worked with dealing with stolen goods, whether it was stolen information or stolen items. Tammy also knew her way around a system due to her job.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, I just want you to be happy too," Tammy said. 

"I understand. It's in your nature to make sure everyone else is getting what they want, and I am. I'm gettin what I want. I want you, I want Derek, Keri, and Lucas and whoever else we add on if that is somethin we do end up makin happen," Leslie promised. Tammy took a deep breath and nodded. It wasn't that she didn't trust Leslie, it was more like she had said, she wanted to make sure this is actually something Leslie wanted and didn't feel obligated to do. 

Leslie and Tammy slipped back underneath the sheets and laid Lucas down between them. They watched him as he cooed and wiggled around.

********

"I think we're almost ready," Tammy smiled. Leslie nodded and kissed the cooing boy's cheek. 

"Let's go say goodbye to Aunt Deb first," Tammy said. The kids nodded and they all walked to her door. 

Tammy knocked just as a precaution before beginning to talk. 

"Alright Deb, we are off, we love you and we are always here for you," Tammy said. 

"Bye Aunt Debbie! We love you!" the kids said in unison. There was no answer which was expected so they began to make their way toward the stairs. Unexpectedly though, they heard the door open. Derek and Keri ran toward Deb and wrapped their arms around her waist. She gave them a weak smile and hugged them both tight. She whispered something into their ears and then sent them back off to Tammy. Tammy smiled at Deb and waived. Deb just nodded and then retreated into her room. While it might not have been much, Tammy took this as a huge step. 

The kids ran past Tammy and headed down the stairs to meet their other mother. Both raced to be the first to wrap their small arms around Leslie's leg. She smiled down at them and ruffled their hair with the free hand that she had. Roni kissed Lucas and walked out to the car. While she loved her new little siblings, all of this was a lot for her to take in. Some days were harder than others. While she never truly fit in at school or even went most days, it felt weird to be leaving everything behind. Though she was also excited to start over and get away from her drunken father. She knew that they both deserved better. 

"Are you two ready two for our trip?" Leslie asked the kids. 

"I am!" Keri squealed as she jumped up and down. Being 7, she didn't quite understand the gravity of everything that was going on around her, rather she more thought of this as an adventure more than anything. 

"Me too," Derek said. Leslie looked at him with a puzzled look, worried that he might be struggling more than he was letting on. Derek could grasp the sense that he, in fact, was not going to be seeing his father for a long time, or his friends and that he wasn't going to be in New York. He had been acting out recently at school which was very unlike him. Keri was usually the trouble maker of the two. She had always been a handful. 

"You okay little man?" Leslie asked. Derek nodded and smiled up at her. Leslie smiled back down and leaned down to kiss his forehead. Lucas took this opportunity to grab onto Derek's hair which caused quite a fit of laughter from the group. Tammy couldn't help but laugh too. Her heart swelled like the Grinch's on Christmas. She walked down the stairs and met her little family. Leslie kissed her on the cheek and the kids each took one of Tammy's hands as they walked out of the loft. They all looked back one more time before getting into the SUV. It was packed full of all of their essentials. They decided last minute to get a U-Haul trailer. They thought it would be safer than trying to ship everything. Plus, Leslie calculated that between the 3 drivers, they would only have to be on the road for 9 days. They were lucky Tammy insisted that Roni get her license before the trip or they would have only had 2 drivers. 9 days was pushing it as Tammy want to get all 3 kids enrolled in school sooner rather than later, and she knew the longer they were on the road, the more likely something was going to happen. 

"Come on, let's get buckled," Tammy said as she opened the door. Roni was already in. She insisted she should get the back row to herself because she needed more space and she didn't want to split up Keri and Derek. Tammy and Leslie only agreed because she promised she'd attend to Lucas if he needed something and she allowed them to fill one half of the side with stuff. 

Leslie got Lucas buckled in the middle, while Keri sat behind Tammy and Derek behind Leslie. They knew the baby would be a good mediator between the two older ones when the rides got too long. Once the kids were inside the car, they did one more sweep around the car to make sure they had everything they needed. Leslie ran inside one more time and did a quick sweep of their rooms, the bathroom they all shared, and the living room. But before she went back downstairs to check the living room she stopped by Deb's door and knocked softly. 

"Hey, I just wanted to say thanks... thanks for literally fuckin everythin. And I love you.. you're like the mom I never got to have. See you soon Ocean," Leslie said loud enough to get through the wooden door but soft enough that it felt sincere. She heard Deb stir around in the room, but the woman never came out. 

"Alright we good," Leslie said as got into the passenger's seat. 

"Perfect," Tammy smiled. 

"Let's go!" Roni cheered. 

"Yeah!" Keri and Derek exclaimed. The two older women just laughed and Tammy gave the loft one last good look before she pulled out of the driveway. A lot had happened in that loft over the past 11 months. She planned to rob the Met, found out she was pregnant, robbed the Met, found out that they did more than just rob the Met, caught her husband cheating, had Lucas, caught up with Rusty and Linus, had Thanksgiving and Christmas, planned the most adorable proposal for Lou and Deb, found a new love, got engaged, helped Lou and Deb work out some shit, met Tess and DJ, and now she was going turning a new page in her book. California was where her new "Happily Ever After" was going to begin and she could not be more excited. She was doing things her way now, and it felt nice. Even though 6 was a crowd, she didn't want to experience life with anyone else but these other 5 people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright gang, I uploaded slower than I would have liked. I apologize. This semester is not going to be a cake walk. I hope you enjoyed some fluff given all the recent angst. Tammy and Nine's relationship is flourishing like the little flower it is. I am so happy with it. Thank you all again for your continued support. I love each and every one of you! Have a great night/day whenever you are reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	34. Hell to Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lou has asked Harry to do nearly the impossible, get through to Deb. Will he be able to relate to the woman he blames for his sister's string of bad luck and pain? Or has there been too much damage done?

*knock knock*

"Aye, uhh Deb, it's me, Harold. I was wondering if you'd like to talk.." Harold said through the thick wooden door. There was no response which he was expecting, but he could hear some shuffling around, which no one had heard since Tam and Nine left. They had only been gone two days but Rapunzel stirred even less as the days ticked by. 

"It's about the child... your child, with Lou," Harold tried again. As he pressed his ear against the door, the door unexpectedly opened. 

"Oof," Harold exclaimed as he hit the floor. 

"What about our child?" Deb asked softly. Harry immediately stood up and brushed himself off. No one thought that would work. Constance and Rusty bet $30 each that she wouldn't even move. Tess bet $10 that he'd hear movement when he said that, but no one had her actually appearing for the first time in what seemed like weeks. 

"I just wanted to maybe discuss how we're going to go about this. I mean, you and I are going to be more than just awkward in-laws once this child is born. Technically, you and I are going to be parents. I, obviously, will be giving up my rights and allowing that child to grow up with the impression that she is the product of you and Lou, but our lives will be intertwined for the rest of our lives and I think, for one, we need to be better acquainted, and well, I- Amita wants to know if we'll be having sex or not," Harry explained. 

"No, I don't want to have sex with you. We'll do it in a facility, or Lou will inject your sperm in me while she and I are having sex," Deb stated. Harry nodded and brushed off the fact that she completely ignored the actual point of his schpeal. He truly did want to get to know his "sister-in-law" better. He had judged her for far too long from afar. Now he had the chance to actually get to know her and figure out why his sister, who was a meteor flung from the depths of space on a trail with no end, suddenly got snagged by Ocean's gravitational pull. 

"And I suppose for the child's sake and Lou's, we should get to know each other better..." Deb trailed off. Harry smiled at this and followed Deb into her room. Harry looked around and noticed that the room was pretty evenly split between the two. Lou had originally decorated it, but once Deb got back, she slowly added her influence and of course, Lou wouldn't object. He saw a few old pictures of the two back from what seemed like college age and a little older. He saw a few things left over from the proposal that Deb insisted on keeping up in their room. She enjoyed being surrounded by her plans, besides Lou, it was the first thing she saw when she went to bed and the first thing she saw when she woke up. Harry also noticed that Lou's side of the room seemed untouched. It was if Deb was waiting for her to just come back home and crawl right back into bed with her. 

Deb slipped back under the covers on her side of the bed and watched Harry as he took a seat on the end of the bed. They stared at each other for a few moments before Deb cut the awkward tension. 

"What do you want to know?" Deb asked. 

"Well I'm not going to do the whole weird thing that American dads tend to do... but I guess, I just want to know why her?" Harry replied. Deb took a minute to collect her thoughts. His question was more than just a typical loaded question. While she thought she knew the answer, every day it seemed, she'd find a new reason to fall harder and deeper in love than the previous day. And now that they were attempting to make up the last 6 years, things were coming back at an even faster rate. Everyone knew that Lou was wrapped around her the minute that Lou had laid eyes on her. They all knew the story at the club. But what most people failed to ask, was what Deb had thought that night. What Deb had felt. Even Lou didn't really know what happened on the brunette's side of that night. 

********

It was a typical Friday night which meant Deb was going into her usual club which happened to be half a block from her apartment. It was run by the Italian mafia to her knowledge, something that put her on edge a bit given her families history with them. Despite that, she still ran it knowing the risk. 

She mainly scammed credit cards and grabbed things off people like watches and cash. She didn't need much, but it didn't matter. Sh needed the chase and the chase needed her. The need to take ran through her like the blood that flowed through her veins. But what she never intended to find was a need for something else, actually, someone else. She sat at her usual spot next to the cash register. It was easy for her to memorize the numbers on the cards, and because the bartender was new, he often left cards by the register to handle something so she was able to strip the magnetic strip and place it on a different card. She'd run them for a few big purchases and then throw the card away. While she knew it couldn't be traced to her, she didn't want to draw too much unwanted attention. 

After pulling a few cards, she noticed a new girl in the club. She had blonde hair that hit her shoulder blades and bangs that swept flawlessly over her slim face. She was wearing black jeans, a man's blue button-up tucked in slightly, and a leather coat. A few necklaces swung from her neck and a rope like material wrapped around her wrist. She walked with so much power despite obviously being new. Deb's eyes followed the sway of the blonde woman's hips and widened as she caught the curl of her lip. The girl's slender fingers danced gently in the air as if she were playing the piano before they dipped carefully into a man's pocket and then retreated into her own. She had grabbed a wallet and two watches in the short time Deb's eyes were locked on her. Deb didn't like that someone else was working her spot. She continued to watch the girl for another 30 minutes before the voice inside her head became too loud. She got up and followed the girl. She was careful not to be too close, but she wanted to keep track of how much she was able to grab.  Before long, the girl slipped off into the bathroom. As she followed, the hint of pine trees, mint, and vanilla flowed behind her. Her heart fluttered at the intoxicating scent. The woman slipped into the nearest stall and Deb went into one of the middle ones. She stepped out a bit earlier, ran the water to hide the sound of her footsteps coming back after opening the door. The woman unlocked her stall and stepped out, thinking she was in the clear. Immediately, Deb stepped into the girl's space and pressed her against the wall. When her deep brown eyes locked onto the blonde girl's icy blue ones, her heart grew wings and flew right out of her throat and threw itself at the girl before her. Despite her heart locking onto the girl in front of her, Debbie's confidence pulsed through her veins just as powerful as the blood. 

"What do you think you're doing in my club?" Deb asked. 

"Oh, I didn't know clubs could be claimed by criminals," the girl said with a thick Australian accent.  _ **Oh my god, that is the hottest sound I've ever heard**_ , Deb thought to herself. 

"I'm no criminal, you're the one with 5 watches and 2 wallets that a.  
re definitely not your style," Deb said cockily as she raised her eyebrow and looked down at the girl's fat jacket pockets. 

"Looks like you caught me green-handed," the Australian said. 

"It's red, red-handed," Deb teased. The tension in the room had quickly turned from threatening to flirting within a matter of a few sentences. Their eyes stayed locked, but there no verbal communication. Debbie had never been able to communicate this way with anyone but Danny. But somehow the blonde jumped frequencies and ended up on the same wavelength as her. The power that the blonde emitted was not a challenge of her own, but rather a compliment. 

"How long you been here?" Deb asked.

"In the States, a little over a month. At this club, a little over a week," the Australian shrugged.

"Every night?" Deb sounded surprised.

"Yeah, gotta make money somehow, and a barista job just isn't cutting it," the girl replied.

"You're going to get caught that way," Deb warned.

"How do you know? Thought you said you weren't a criminal," the blonde raised her eyebrow.

"That's because criminals get caught and I've never been caught," Deb smirked. The blonde bit her lip and gave her those now infamous "you're going to be the death of me look".

"Don't suppose you got any more advice?" the girl said.

"Hmm I got anything and everything you need," Deb's words lingered a little too long. The twinkle in her brown eyes lit up as she could see the wheels turning in the blue-eyed girl's head.

"Well then, why don't you show me a good time," the Australian teased.

"We'll see," the brunette said and made her way toward the door.

"Wait, what's your name?" the blonde called out.

"You'll find out soon enough, Lou," Deb winked.

"How did you-?" Lou asked baffled. Deb pulled out Lou's actual ID out of her back pocket and played with it in her fingers.

"Oh fuckin hell you're good," Lou gasped.

"One day you can be too," Deb smiled and put the ID on the towel dispenser and left. The Australian just stood there in the bathroom bewitched and bewildered by the strange yet all-encompassing encounter while the brunette walked away with a heart full of a feeling it had never once felt.

While their encounter was brief, it was all they needed to have them both hooked onto the other. Over the next few days, Deb would scout out the club, making sure the blonde took her advice. To her surprise, she did. The blonde came back a week after the whole ordeal and not a day sooner. This began the newfound partnership that would quickly turn into a friendship and then an all-encompassing relationship where each thought the other was the sun and they were the planet that revolved around the other.

********

"It's just always been her. I-I can't even begin to explain the connection because to this day I still don't quite understand it. Somedays, I'm honestly afraid of it. It is still so suffocating to this day. I need her more than I need air. I need her more than I need water. Without her, it's like someone stripped away all color and took away all your happy memories and set you back out into the world. The world is still the world but it's meaningless, it's deprived of all purpose. She brings the beauty out in this world. She is the color, the good smells, and tastes and just makes everything around me mean so much more. I never asked her to be my partner. I never asked her to be a criminal with me or to even partake. She just followed, with a thirst for knowledge and unquestionable loyalty. And despite all of my teachings, it was like the partnership was already set in stone. You couldn't break me from her and no one could break her from me. And believe me I questioned it and I went over it a thousand times as to why. Why the universe/fate/God/Allah/the ancestors/etc had us meet that night and why it went down the way it did. But every single day, despite my overactive brain, the whatever kept giving me a reason to believe it was meant to be. While this wasn't her first choice or even her 100th, I don't believe either of us had a choice. Whoever or whatever decided that I needed her and she needed me. Because when I walked out of that bathroom I knew my life had changed forever and it would never be the same again. She's just always been the one, and while we've both fucked up, me more than her.. I just can't imagine my life any other way. There is no me without her, and unfortunately for you and her, there's definitely a different Lou without me," Deb explained. Harry took a deep breath and nodded. It was like those two were bound to meet by some external force. It was like their genetic makeup was missing whatever the other had an when they met their bodies knew it and attached themselves to each other. They were each other's oxygen, each other's drug of choice. What compelled them to be together was much stronger than just pure lust or want. It was absolutely physical and biological.

"It's not completely unfortunate for me, and it's not even close to unfortunate to her. While I don't quite understand your relationship.. to be honest no one ever will, I understand that this is more than just love and loneliness and history. You two are spellbound to each other through heaven and hell. I just got to see the hell part. I'm hoping now, I, and everyone else, gets to see heaven," Harry admitted. Debbie blushed at his last comment. She truly hoped they'd get to see heaven too, or at least California.

"Friends?" Deb asked.

"I think we can do better," Harry replied. Deb raised her eyebrow and tilted her head slightly.

"Family. We're family Deb," Harry smiled. Deb nodded and reached out to shake his hand but instead got pulled into a hug. She resisted for a while, but the lack of human contact had taken its toll as she was so used to being so close to Lou. She hugged him back and as the seconds passed, her grip got tighter.

They spent the next few hours talking until Deb's eyes got too heavy for her to keep open. The lack of food and emotional topic finally took over and she was out before Harold could say goodnight. He tucked her in and slowly slipped out of the room.

Once he made it down the stairs he pulled out his phone and texted Lou

Harry-> Sis: *despite the hell we've given each other, I am fully on the path to give you both heaven.* A few seconds later his phone buzzed.

Sis-> Harry: *Thank you bro. I love you.* Harry left the message on read and made his way to the kitchen where he found Tess, Amita, and Constance who all had the "so how'd it go" look.

"Operation Heaven has commenced," Harry winked. The ladies all cheered and Amita wrapped Harry in a large embrace. For now, they'd celebrate this small victory and forget about the rest of the journey that waited for them ahead. Hell was only a few missteps away and while that looked over them, they celebrated the fact that one of the most important internal hurdles had been jumped over. This unit was truly a family now which made Hell seem not so hard to face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it! For those who follow my tumblr (Deblou008), I said I'd get this chapter done by the end of the week and it happened. I got out of my head and finally was able to focus on this story for more than 5 minutes at a time. Thank you again for sticking with the story. I know this chapter was a bit sappy, but you got to see how Lou and Deb first met from Deb's point of view! Happy late Lunar New Year to those who celebrate. Tet is very important to me as I am Vietnamese. (OOO, details about the writer...) Anyways, have a great night/day whenever you are reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	35. On The Road Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lou enlists the help of an old time friend/flame while in Canada, but that isn't the only flame burning. Deb has decided to add a little spice to their life as Lou is so far from home and they are both in need of a little attention.

Harry-> Sis: *despite the hell we've given each other, I am fully on the path to give you both heaven.* A few seconds later his phone buzzed.

Sis-> Harry: *Thank you bro. I love you.* Harry left the message on read, which made sense to Lou. He and Deb probably just had an intense conversation and maybe they still were. It comforted her to know that they were on good terms finally. It had been too long of the other resenting the other for something that literally could not be helped. The attraction the two women shared defied any law known to man or even nature. 

It was now February 25th, over the last 4 days she had made her way through Montana, Idaho and cut through a bit of Washington to get into Canada. She planned on spending 2 more days here and then heading down through Washington and Oregon and taking the last week of her trip to get through California. 

Unfortunately, no matter where she tried to hide, the man she first saw in North Dakota was always behind her. She had lost him though for the last few days given she had moved up into Canada, but he never the less found her and was eating at a diner across the road. 

Lou and Nine were back and forth on the subject. She tried her best to get an idea of who the guy was and who he worked for officially since they obviously had an idea that this had something to do with Danny. They neglected to tell Deb, something Nine was extremely against, but Lou was second in command and Nine wasn't going to be another reason why they weren't getting along. Rusty also insisted that Lou tell Deb given that the last secret they just tried to hide backfired completely and was the reason Rapunzel was locked away in her tower. Lou thought about it every day, but she weighed the cost of Deb being worried sick vs something happening to her because of the man, and because Rusty and Nine knew about him, she decided that worrying Deb was too costly and wasn't necessary. 

It was much colder in Canada than Lou had anticipated, so she had to buckle down and buy a coat she knew would weigh her down more as the trip went on. She could hear Deb now telling her about how she should have anticipated the cold weather and adjusted for having to either bring or buy a coat. She smiled as Deb's voiced nagged her in her head. She missed the brunette and was not afraid to let it show. She looked down at the watch she got from her and would constantly replay memories or create scenarios where Deb was with her. At the last second, she almost asked Deb to come with her. She wasn't sure how she was going to survive for 3 weeks without her, but she also knew that this was something she needed and while this trip would have been fun with her, right now the alone time was a good thing. 

She pulled out her phone and dialed an old number she doubted worked. To her surprise though, someone did pick up. 

"Hello?" a woman's voice asked. 

"Wow, someone's been out of the golden coast a little too long," Lou joked. 

"Lou! Oh my gosh, how are you dear?" the woman exclaimed. 

"Hey Helen, I am good. And you?" Lou asked. 

"Alright, making it out here in the freezing cold," Helen laughed. 

"I don't understand how you do it," Lou joked. 

"Oh like New York is any better," Helen scoffed. 

"Yeah, well now I'm heading out to California," Lou smiled. 

"Congratulations love, it's about time," Helen said. 

"Thanks, but before I can do that, I need your help," Lou said softly. 

"Meet me at the library on 8th at 5 pm. I will see what I can do for you," Helen said. 

"See you then," Lou smiled. 

"See you," Helen said and then the phone called ended. 

Lou's eyes quickly glanced around her surroundings to try and find the mystery man. Luckily for Lou, he was still in the exact same spot. She looked down at her watch and it was only 11 am, she had over 5 hours until she met Helen. So to pass the time, she decided to go out on a limb and message Debbie. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Just wanted to say hi, and that you're on my mind.* To her surprise, her text notification for Deb went off within the same minute she sent her message out. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *I wish I was more than just on your mind.* Lou blushed brightly as she read the text. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Oh yeah? Where would you like to be?* Lou texted while walking back to her hotel room. If this was about to happen she needed to be somewhere Deb felt comfortable. She wouldn't mind being hot and bothered somewhere public, but if the texting turned into a call, Deb would be immediately turned off by the sound of other people. Deb was very private when it came to their sex life. That didn't stop Lou and her from escaping off into a public bathroom or Lou slipping her fingers into Deb under the table at dinner. But public sex was definitely more Lou's thing. Plus, they had never really had phone sex before, or even sexted as Constance called it. Debbie had been in jail during the big boom of email, texting and etc. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *On top of you.* Lou bit her lip and quickly slipped into her room. She laid down on the bed and took a picture of her legs and spread slightly. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *I'd rather have you there.* A few minutes went by before Lou's phone dinged again. She almost texted Deb again because she thought she had crossed a line. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *Hmm nope, not yet anyway. I'd be on top giving you the striptease of a lifetime* Attached to the text was a picture of Lou's favorite lingerie spread out on their bed. Lou could already feel her juices pooling in her boxer briefs. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Fuck...* Those were the only words that would form in her brain after 3 minutes of trying to come up with a clever response. Words were clogged behind the image of Debbie in the black lace bra and matching thong with the tights and black heels. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *What is it? Loss for real words? That isn't like you Lou. Little bird got your tongue?* Lou's cheeks burned her lover teased her from a country away.  The muscles in her face hurt from trying to hide her smile. It never ceased to amaze her how much Deb could make her smile. The brunette could be doing the smallest of things, and Lou's cheeks would rise, her lips would curl upward and part at the seam. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Oh if you had my tongue you'd know it baby.* 

JLBRD-> Lou: *Well since I can't have it, I'll just imagine your tongue as my fingers instead* Attached to the text was a picture of Deb with her hands over her crotch. Lou instinctively put her hand down her jeans. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Oh yeah? What is my tongue doing?* Lou bit her lip in anticipation to her woman's response. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *Your tongue is teasing my core.. making comments about how wet I am. Ohhh now it's flicking my clit...* Lou's eyes rolled back into her head as she imagines herself licking Deb. Her fingers automatically begin to slide underneath her underwear. Before she knows it she's rubbing herself the way Deb is describing it. Lou could barely type but she managed to keep the conversation going. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *What else am I doing baby?* 

JLBRD-> Lou: *Hmm your tongue is doing that thing that I can't get enough of.. Oh god Lou.. now you're fucking me now.. with your fingers.. * Lou let out a soft moan as she rubbed her own clit in circles. Lou swiped up and began recording the sounds of her wetness mixed with her soft moans and whimpers and hit send. It was a few minutes before Lou got a response back.

JLBRD-> Lou: *Oh fucking hell Lou...* Lou laughed at this response, but her laugh quickly turned into a moan as her fingers kept working their magic on herself. While she could never get herself off as well as someone else could, this was going to have to do as she was so horny. She hadn't gone this long without sex since the heist was over. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Fucking you might land me in hell, but damn baby you're worth it* Lou could feel the eye roll she was getting across the country from her brunette beauty. Deb sent her a voice recording of muffled moans and a few mews of her name. Lou's underwear became soaked with her own juices as she listened to it. She took a deep breath and played with herself as she replied. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Are you trying to kill me?* A short moment later, her phone went off with a response that almost pushed her over the edge. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *Of course not Daddy. But I need you to pin me against the bed and use me. I need you to take me with your thick cock. Oh Daddy, I miss feeling full of you...* Lou let out a very audible groan as she wished more than anything that she could make Deb's wishes come true. She missed feeling her lover's body underneath her. She missed waking up to Deb trying to get her off before the sun rose. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *God I wish I was there stretching you out. If I could make your wishes come true, I'd be using that sweet little pussy until you begged me to stop. Your knuckles would be white from clenching the sheets so hard, and your voice would be hoarse from screaming my name*

JLBRD-> Lou: *Jesus christ...*  Lou smirked as she caught Deb in the same web she entangled herself in not too long ago. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *He can't save you now baby.*

JLBRD-> Lou: *I don't want him to save me if you're the one stealing me away.* Lou smiled and bit her lip as she continued to pleasure herself. The banter between them was like no other and the basis of their very relationship. It was the fact that they were both so witty with their responses that kept them both on their toes. It built their trust as they both felt comfortable being uncomfortable with each other. Lou's toes curled and her breath started to become uneven as the pressure built in the pit of her stomach. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *I'm so close.* Lou slowed down her movements because she wanted to wait for her lover to catch up with her. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *I am close too Daddy.. I need to cum.. will you let me?* Lou's breath hitched as she played those short sentences in her head. While Deb never really needed her permission to do anything, she gave Lou an ultimate sign of submission the day she gave up her right to cum without Lou's permission. And Lou treasured that gesture and pleasure to this day. Her nerves would send shivers from her head to her crotch anytime Deb asked. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Only if you cum with me baby.* Lou closed her eyes and imagined Deb's tongue where her fingers were. She heard the buzz of the phone and barely opened her eyes to read the text. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *Of course Daddy. There is no better way.* Lou moaned softly as she felt herself reaching her climax. She then heard her phone buzz again which prompted her to open her eye again. 

JLBRD-> Lou: *I'm cumming Daddy.* Lou groaned out as her orgasm took over her. Her legs shook and her hips bucked like the waves of pleasure pulsing throughout her body. Once she got herself under control, she reached over and replied back to Deb. 

Lou-> JLBRD: *God that was hot.*

JLBRD-> Lou: *I'm glad you liked it.* 

Lou-> JLBRD: *Did you?*

JLBRD-> Lou: *Yes I enjoyed myself. I obviously would prefer to have you here, but at least we know this is an option.*   
  
Lou-> JLBRD: *I'm glad to hear.* 

JLBRD-> Lou: *I love you Lulu Bear.*

Lou-> JLBRD: *I love  you too Jail Bird.* Deb read the message and left it at that. Lou went into the bathroom to clean herself up. She couldn't really believe that just happened. She never really thought they'd do anything of that sort given Deb's reluctance with technology. She was thankful though, she probably was going to have to send Tammy or maybe even Constance a gift basket for finally convincing Deb to go through with this. She spent the rest of the time before meeting Helen watching TV and relaxing.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

*Beep Beep* *Beep Beep*

Lou turned over and looked at the clock. 

"Shit," Lou muttered as she rolled out of bed. She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep and it was now only 30 minutes to 5. She threw on her extra coat and ran out the door with her files in hand. While enlisting Helen's specialties wasn't what Lou really wanted to do, she knew she had to. She had to protect them. Debbie may never fall for it, but she wasn't going to let the other girls go down if the plan went up in flames. 

She pulled up to the library a few minutes before 5 and scouted out the place. She wanted to make sure the mystery man hadn't followed her from the hotel. Although what they were discussing was not something that really had to do with Danny, she still didn't want him knowing anything more than he already did. 

Lou almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. 

"Shit Lou, didn't mean to scare you," Helen apologized. 

"No it's fine, it's me. How are you?" Lou reassured her. 

"Good, let's set up over here," Helen said as she walked toward a room. The library had small soundproof rooms set up around the outside, while desks and chairs and the shelves sat in the middle. Lou did one more sweep of the room to make sure neither of them was followed before slipping into the room. 

Helen pulled out her laptop and a few other devices as well as a note pad and paper. It took her a few minutes to set up but when she was ready she slid the paper and pen over to Lou. 

"I need a physical copy of everything. I know the whole point of digital is to reduce theft or loss, but honestly, nowadays it seems like it's easier to hack computers and systems rather than steal copies of papers. 

"I get that," Lou nodded. 

"Whatcha need me for kid?" Helen asked. Lou rolled her eyes when she heard that old but endearing nickname. Helen and she went way back. They had grown up near each other and were always getting into some sort of trouble. Lou's parents never liked Helen because she was about 6 years older than Lou, but they couldn't separate the two. They were partners in all sorts of small schoolyard schemes, and eventually, that partnership would turn into a relationship.  They were each other's firsts for most things. They were like fire and gasoline, but unlike Lou and Deb, they were it constantly. There was never a stopping point until something snuffed out the oxygen. Around Helen's 23rd birthday, she got offered a job in Montreal and left Lou the very next day. Lou thought that was going to be the worst heartbreak of her life. If only she had known there was someone else who would complete her even better than Helen. After a few years of mopping around Australia and filling her wounds with alcohol, Helen reached out again with an opportunity to work in America. Lou jumped on the opportunity and booked the next flight there. Helen and she spent the next few weeks catching up and learning the trick of the new trade. It was awkward at first given their history. But they quickly realized that the spark they once had all but been snuffed out. She taught Lou the very basics of pickpocketing which ultimately lead her to Debbie, an eternal flame that still burned deep inside her. Though sitting here now, asking her old friend for help did bring back up old feelings, but none of that sort. She mainly felt gratitude, for not only setting her up in New York all those years ago but for breaking her heart the way that she did, because, without that she would have never found Debbie. And although their relationship was not perfect and still wasn't, she couldn't even begin to imagine what would have been if she hadn't met her. 

"I need the works, I.Ds, passports, back stories, birth certificates.." Lou said softly. 

"Not a problem, how many people?" Helen asked as she began to type on her computer. 

"10 adults, 1 teen, and 4 children...." Lou trailed off. Helen stopped typing and looked at Lou with wide eyes. 

"What kind of trouble are you in Lou? And who are all these people?" Helen asked. Lou took a deep breath and began to tell the very long story. Lou knew she could trust Helen with most of the details, but she did leave out a few things simply because the more Helen knew the more she became a target. There were already enough people involved, she didn't need another innocent fly caught in the complicated web of cons. 

"Geezus.." Helen mumbled. 

"I don't want to be doing this, but I need to know that we do have a plan Z. And while Deb may never go for this, I gotta protect the others. Especially Tammy, Tess, and the kids. The others just need to know that they have an option if they want," Lou said. 

"I get that, I'll do what I can. Can you tell me who's paired with who so I can at least try and keep central families together," Helen said as she began to type again. Lou nodded and wrote down everything Helen needed to know. She also pulled out pictures of each of them to make things go quicker.

"What will you do if you get caught?" Helen asked Lou to cut the comfortable silence in the room. 

"That depends," Lou replied softly. 

"On what?" Helen asked. 

"I guess that depends on what Debbie wants to do. I know she's too proud to ever snitch anyone out. But the whole game changes I guess if we actually do end up having a child. She and I would both do anything for it, and if that meant giving them to Harry or Tess to raise, then that's what we would do," Lou explained. 

"One of you wouldn't go off while the other stayed?" Helen questioned. 

"I mean, if I got caught and she still had a chance to go be free, of course, I'd stay behind. But if she got caught, I don't think I could go through that again. I would rather be with her in jail, than free without her," Lou said. Helen raised her eyebrow slightly but didn't ask any more questions. Even though decades had passed since Helen and Lou had much contact between them, Helen still knew Lou and could feel the determination behind Lou's words. Whoever this Debbie was, she had an incredible hold on Lou and it made her happy to see that Lou had finally found someone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fell off the wagon a bit and fell into a very deep hole. I am slowly digging myself out with the help of a few friends who again I've met because of this movie, tumblr, and this story. I cannot thank you all enough for sticking with my terrible schedule and my awful headspace. I hope to continue to keep this movie alive as we are slowly running out of new content to post with this story and I will do my best to see it through. Have a great night/day whenever you are reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	36. Bolts and Gears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family secret is revealed as Deb finally starts getting her shit together after a mix of logic and lust infiltrate her system.

Unlike most mornings, the sunlight woke Debbie up from her light sleep. She rolled over to Lou's side of the bed and frowned when her body wasn't stopped by her favorite person. It had been a little less than 2 weeks yet it felt like 2 eons. Her chest sunk as a deep sigh left her body. Yesterday had been amazing and she desperately wished that it had happened in person. Her body ached for the soft gentle touches from Lou and her nose filtered every spec of air searching for Lou's scent. Deb had never been dependent on anyone before, not physically or mentally in almost 10 years. She never depended on Claude. Rather, he was the dependent one in the relationship. He was suffocating even at some points, but the money was enough to justify staying. Tammy and Deb had many late-night conversations about how in the world he was able to convince her to stay for so long. While Deb made her biggest mistake, she realized she needed to fall in order to come back even stronger. She needed to lose the best thing that ever happened to her to put life back into perspective. She got lost in the con and reality had escaped her. 

Now though, she knew what she needed. She knew what was worth risking and what was not. She knew what she could not live without, and that was Lou. She needed Lou to fall asleep, to remind her to eat, to motivate her to take care of herself, to get her big brain thinking and planning, and simply, to function as a human being. She never in a million years thought she'd forget how to be human because of someone else. Her father and brother taught her better, but no matter how many times she told herself how stupid she was being, she couldn't muster up any energy to be anything but a depressed helpless mess. While the Earth may revolve around Deborah Ocean, she was the Earth orbiting around the Lou who was her sun.

As the brunette climbed out of bed she could hear Constance and Amita talking downstairs. It comforted her to know she wasn't totally alone in this giant loft. The room felt empty enough, she couldn't imagine what this whole place would be like if it were completely empty. 

After putting on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, she emerged from her room and carefully walked downstairs, trying not to draw any unwanted attention. But Constance was too good and immediately recognized her footsteps. 

"Aye Mom! It's good to see you finally out and about," Constance said as she looked over her shoulder. 

"Deb, do you need anything?" Amita asked trying to hide her genuine surprise that their Rapunzel finally left her tower. 

"I think it's time to go," Deb said softly. 

"Go where?" Amita asked. 

"Go to California. I want to be there before Lou," Debbie said.

"Okay, yeah, let's start getting on that," Constance said as she got up off her usual spot on the couch. 

"How are you all getting there?" Debbie asked. 

"I'm flying. I don't got a lot of shit here. I mean I know I bought that pad and etc, but that's easy to resell. I can get anything in LA that I can get here," Constance shrugged.

"Harry has to go back.. so I'll probably just catch the flight with Constance. I had a room to myself at my moms.. not much in there," Amita sighed. 

"What about you Mom?" Constance asked. 

"I think Tess and I are driving with DJ," Debbie said. 

"That sounds fun," Amita smiled. 

"I think it will be, plus we want to stay as under the radar as possible," Deb smiled. 

"Wow, someone is out of her tower," Tess gasped playfully. Deb turned around and rolled her eyes at Tess. When Tess laughed the little boy in her arms let out a giggle too. 

"Oh my god I want one," Amita cooed. Deb smiled and Constance just rolled her eyes. 

"Soon you'll have one," Tess said as she looked at Deb. 

"Yeah.." Deb said softly trying to hide her smile. Despite everything going on, the thought of a child, her's and Lou's child, brought her an immense amount of joy. It gave her something to look forward to once this whole fiasco was over with. And if Danny was now actually dead, she'd at least have a life other than him to focus on. Something she truly never really imagined would ever happen. Besides Lou, he was the one thing she believed would always remain constant in her life. He was the only person she would ever actually take direction from and would listen to. 

"I can't wait," Tess smiled and then kissed DJ. "DJ needs a built-in playmate,".

"He has Lucas too," Debbie smiled. 

"Yes, but they will be living farther, plus a cousin is always fun to have around," Tess said. It took Deb a few seconds to wrap her head around the word "cousin". She still sometimes had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that DJ was, in fact, related to her by blood and not marriage or a friendship or even this new found family. The same blood that ran through him, ran through her too. Growing up Danny and Deb hung out with their cousins all the time. Their father had 3 brothers and 1 sister. Each of them had more than 3 kids so there was always a plethora of people to hang around. Danny had asked the question more than once about why there was only 2 of them and not 3-5 like the rest of the families. Their mother had ignored or deflected the question for the good part of their childhood, but one night their father had let it slip in an argument the reason why. 

********

It was a typical Sunday dinner at the Ocean's house. Debbie and their mom had been setting the table when Danny and Jack, their father, walked through the door coming back from a night out with the boys. House rules were that business was not to be discussed at the table so the dinner table conversation was casual and short. They tried their best to focus on the kid's days and school and various other small talk topics to distract themselves from the elephant that always loomed over them. Though tonight was different, and once everyone was comfortable and eating, Mr. Ocean began to talk to Deb. 

"Do you want to go to Boston with your brother and me this weekend Deborah?" Mr. Ocean asked. Debbie titled her head a bit as she wasn't used to being asked to go anywhere with her brother and father. Mr. Ocean raised his eyebrow signaling to her that he needed an answer now. 

"Sure Daddy," Debbie smiled from ear to ear. Their mother shot their father a look but then smiled when Deb looked to her for reassurance. 

"What are you all going to be doing in Boston?" Mrs. Ocean asked with a smile trying to keep her cool. 

"I just thought it would be fun to have a father kid weekend," Mr. Ocean said. 

"But I thought the-" Danny began to question but his father shot him a look that shut him up instantly. Their mother let out a long sigh and shook her head. 

"It's just a weekend," Mr. Ocean said while looking at his wife, trying to recover from his son's slip of the tongue. Later that night, Danny learned to never do again. 

"Sure, I understand," Mrs. Ocean said coldly. Deb looked around the room unsure of the cause of the tension that was coating the room. The rest of the night was silent as the tension circled the family. Once everyone was as finished as they were going to be since this family all had different relationships with emotions and food, Debbie got up and began to clear the table. While she was still confused about what happened at dinner she was the most carefree of the bunch and continued on her night as if nothing happened. Danny, on the other hand, ran to the living room and put the TV on as soon as he was finished helping Deb. He knew the fight that was about to ensue was going to be bad and he wanted no part of it. Mr. and Mrs. Ocean stayed civil until their daughter went upstairs to start her homework. 

"Why do we keep having the same fight over and over Jack!?" their mother yelled. 

"I don't know Ellie, why do we? You knew exactly what you were getting into when you married me. You knew exactly what was expected of you and what was expected of our children!" their father rebutted. 

"That doesn't make all of the pain and worry and frustration go away Jack," Eleanor sighed. 

"Well if you would have given me what I wanted in the first place, I wouldn't have to even consider using Deb!" Jack slammed his fist on the kitchen table. 

"That's not fair Jack," Ellie growled. While Mrs. Ocean was furious, the moment Mr. Ocean brought that up most of her fight escaped her. 

"I tried..." Ellie whimpered and clutched her stomach. 

"Three, you lost three boys.." Jack said defeatedly. He turned away from her. Unknown to both of them, Deb had come downstairs to ask to be read a bedtime story but was stopped in her tracks by Danny. He scooped her up and put his hand over her mouth before she could register what was happening. They both listened silently on the couch. Danny understood much more than his little sister, but she could tell something was really wrong.

"I'm sorry," Ellie cried. Jack sighed. Deb's head tilted as she watched her brother's demeanor change. He sunk into the couch. He was supposed to be a big brother to four, not to just one. Mrs. Ocean lost two of the children in the early in the second trimester and the last child was stillborn. They had almost given up on the dream of having a large family. They were genuinely surprised when they learned that Eleanor was pregnant with Debbie. They barely told anyone about the pregnancy due to the fact that the last three failed. They didn't even want to find out the gender because they were so sure the pregnancy wouldn't come to term. But on August 8th, a little girl was born and while the holes in their hearts weren't completely full, they had a new light to shine into those dark holes. Once Deb was born, they decided to not try again because losing another would be too painful. 

While it was still a painful subject for both of them, Mr. Ocean pushed through it to continue his cause, "I need her Eleanor." 

"She's a little girl!" Eleanor yelled. 

"She's an Ocean through and through and you know it. She'll be just fine. Danny said so himself that she's good to go," Jack said trying to defuse the situation by throwing their son into this, but that only made matters worse. 

"What do you mean Danny said 'she was good to go'? What have you been doing behind my back Jack?!" Mrs. Ocean fumed. 

"Oh come on Ellie. You don't think I've been teaching our little girl since the moment she figured out she had fingers how to use them? She's an Ocean. She will learn our trade," Jack stated. Eleanor wanted to fight this, kick and scream if she had to, but she knew it would be of no use. Deborah had already begun to learn the trade, and given her personality, she was not going to stop until she was the best. He was right, she was an Ocean through and through and it worried her to no end. None of the other women in the family were ever brought into the trade. Not only was it was a man's world, but the family decided early on that they would leave the women out of it. Given Jack's lack of resources, he decided to break the code and use Deborah. He had not lied about training her at a very early age. He worked with her on her finger and hand strength early on. He had taught her to cry on command and had been working with her more recently on the ticks and trades of the pickpocketing game. He would have to train her harder than he ever imagined training Danny just to get it across that he was just in roping her into the criminal life. And in a short time, she would prove to exceed all of their expectations. 

********

"Well what all do we have to pack?" Tess asked as she looked around the living room. Deb snapped back to reality once she heard Tess's voice. Tess just raised her eyebrow at the brunette. It wasn't uncommon to find Deb with her head in the clouds. 

"Lou and I already went through most of this stuff. I mean, it's definitely gotten more stuff since you all have arrived, but we both agreed that we don't need most of this stuff. I mean, we really only need to pack up the bedroom, the study, and a few things in here. We'd only need a truck and a small trailer," Deb shrugged. 

"Alright, well we better get on that if we want to beat Lou home," Tess said. Her lips curled at the sound of the word "Home". She had many houses, but homes were not common. To her, the last home she really had was the apartment she and Lou shared back when they were just teens. She had left that home over 10 years ago now, and while this loft was great, it still never quite felt like a home. She couldn't wait to start her new life in something she could actually call a home. Though no place would actually be a home if it didn't have Lou in it. 

"Ight well I'mma start moving my shit out of here, and then I'mma help you with whatever is left?" Constance said as she looked to Deb for directions. 

"Sounds good kiddo," Deb said. 

"Harry and I will get my room cleared, there is not much in there. And then I'll help too," Amita smiled. As she left to go to her room, she pulled out her phone to text Harry to come over. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Lou's record player spun around for hours as it blasted music, filling the room with something other than the sound of boxes being built and tape being ripped. While it was hectic with all the boxes and constant moving, it definitely was the kick in the ass Deb needed. Her bolts had been dusted off by the heartfelt conversation that she had with Harold, and her gears had been oiled by the slick wetness that Lou caused the day before. She was actually taking part of "Operation Heaven", which prompted a few shared surprised glances between the four who came up with it. They thought they were going to have to pack all the stuff for her and then drag the long-haired princess from her tower. 

After sharing a dinner delivered by Postmates, something Deb was completely baffled by, Constance went back to her loft to begin the process of selling that stuff and Harry and Amita decided to crash at his hotel since her room was in disarray. Tess and Deb were left on the couch with their cups of tea. Luckily, DJ had already crashed before dinner ever got there. 

"Is there anything at the Boston house that you need?" Debbie asked Tess before taking another sip of her tea. Tess took a moment to think about everything that was in that house. She had been there barely a year before being contacted by Rusty. When she found out Deb was out and needed her help, she jumped on the first flight available and hadn't looked back. While Deb didn't have the same spell over Tess as Danny did, their shared charisma still had Tess hooked and willing to drop anything for her. The friends she had left called her foolish to keep dealing with the Ocean's, but she knew she wasn't the only one caught in their riptide. Rusty and Lou were as far out as she was. 

"Yeah, I mean, there are some of your family heirlooms around. Don't suppose we could stop there on the way to California and pick up the really important stuff?" Tess replied. 

"Of course," Deb smiled. She figured Tess was the one to keep most of that type of stuff. She hadn't really been back to the house since she was a young adult. When her mother died, things just weren't the same. The house felt empty and useless without her. Their father tried his best to keep the family traditions alive, but it became obvious quickly that it wouldn't last. Danny and Rusty were off running their schemes and Debbie and Lou were doing the same. Then when their father died right before she went into prison, the house just sat. The boys would use it every once and a while as a safe house but other than that it stayed empty. And then when Danny went underground while Deb was still in prison, Rusty took over and restored the house. While the house in New Rochelle looked the same as it did all those years ago, the most prized possessions had already been removed. Tess even kept them throughout the whole ordeal with Terry. Now, the house there would stay in the family, but Deb didn't believe any of them would ever truly go back. They may vacation there once a year, but actually living in New York again was not something on the table and she was okay with that. She had taken all that she could from the Big Apple and it was time for her to use her wings and fly away like she was always supposed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god. I feel so awful for pulling my bullshit again. I hope you all can forgive me for my awful state of mind. But I did it! Like a whole ass month late. But better late than never because I promise you all I will not abandon this story. I am dedicated to keeping it alive as long as you will let me. Thank you for your patients. Have a great night/day whenever you are reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	37. A Dress Made For A Goddess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose is fully in design mode as award shows are coming up and it's causing Daphne's old wounds to reopen as she fights herself trying to cope with being on her own.

It had been about a week since the two of them had left the rest of the group to permanently settle down Calabasas, California. Daphne was not particularly busy as it was award season. She was doing her best to stay in the loop with Operation Heaven, Lou's road trip and Tammy and Nine's road trip. She texted Amita at least once a day to get an updated report on how Deb was doing. Despite not really caring about many people's wellbeings including her own, she truly wanted the absolute best for Deb, so she was the one who actually suggested Harry mentioning the child. She sent Lou updated progress on the loft that they had bought in Santa Monica. Lou had a crew of construction workers there updating and adding the things she promised Deb in her proposal and whatever else Deb wanted. Since they both weren't going to be there for a while, Daph volunteered to make sure that the place was being executed to their standards. She had nothing else to do and she actually really liked interior design. She thought about going into that a few times if acting didn't pan out. 

Rose, on the other hand, was extremely busy. She dove immediately into work to help her cope with how Claude's sentencing went. She obviously had already committed to doing Daphne's dress for the upcoming Acadamy Awards, but she also decided last minute to dress a new up and coming actress named Jessie Hartly. The girl was up for her first Acadamy Award and when she saw Daphne's dress at the Met Gala, she knew she had to have Rose dress her. Unlike usual, it didn't take her a lot of convincing to agree to make this dress. She usually went through a very vigorous selection process because for one she didn't have a lot of time to make other people's dresses as she was Daphne's sole designer and two she had a very particular vision and needed to work with people who would accept those. While she was trending again as a major designer, she knew it was only because of the Met and because she dressed Daphne. She wanted to stand out and be trending because she was unique and people actually liked her designs. While Jessie truly did appreciate and love Rose's artistic style, Rose really just wanted another distraction.

Daphne was not too pleased with this new development. Not only would that take more of Rose's time, but the girl was up against Daphne for Best Actress and in her mind, her only worthy competition. Daphne was in constant contact with Tammy as she tried to unravel her feelings about this. She knew this is what Rose needed and their relationship was strictly work related but she couldn't help but be jealous. She truly didn't believe Rose would cheat, but she couldn't help but think that someone could change her mind and finally unveil Rose's eyes from the fog she was living in thinking that Daphne was something worth her time and especially her love. The ultimate attention paradox waged war and her mind was the battlefield. On the one hand, she believed she was a Queen in the acting world, she had the confidence of a mean girl and carried herself as so. No one was above her, and the attention of the common person was greatly accepted, actually more just expected. But when it came to someone she actually wanted attention from, she pushed it away and believed it was just as fake as everyone else's. She truly didn't believe anyone could ever want her for the real her. Her parents proved that, her friends proved that, and all her past lovers proved that. The only person who ever kept any of their promises was her brother and even she doubted him at times. Tammy though tried her best to keep this little anxiety-ridden princess in check whenever she got out of control. 

"She's been working on that dress for over 8 hours today. She only came by because she ran out of Nutella and graham crackers," Daphne complained. 

"Daph, the awards are in like what?" Tammy paused.

"A few days," Daph finished.

"Of course she's going to complete the majority of the stuff right before the awards. I mean, you know her. She waits til the last minute because that's when all of the pressure forces her to come up with something creative. She's like a diamond, she turns out the best stuff under extreme pressure," Tammy said calmingly. Daphne sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't know why she was this way, but she was grateful that Tammy was there on speed dial, even though half the time she was telling the kids to behave or trying to get Nine to stop distracting her while driving. 

"I know but, Jessie doesn't have to be there the whole time does she?" Daphne whined. 

"Probably not, but Jessie also really likes Rose's work," Tammy reminded her. 

"I know, I know this is crazy. But I can't help it. I'm sorry for bothering you," Daphne sighed. 

She knew her insecurities were invalid but it didn't stop her thoughts from becoming a runaway train. 

"You and Nine and you're apologies, I swear. What am I going to do with you?" Tammy whispered. Daphne was about to say something but then she heard Derek and Keri arguing in the background. A few minutes passed before there was enough silence for her to reply. 

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked.

"You and Nine, you always apologize. I mean you don't do it out in public but like with us, it's like you apologize for everything, even when there isn't a need for an apology. It's like second nature to you people. Something happens, and you're like. 'I'm sorry'. I know past relationships affect how you behave in current ones but it's not supposed to be like this Daph. You only need to apologize when there's actually something you did wrong. You haven't done anything wrong here. Your feelings are your feelings and you can't help them, but you can get them under control but that is another topic," Tammy explained.

"Well.. I-I'm-" Daphne began to say. 

"I swear to God Daph.." Tammy warned. Daphne sighed and nodded. Despite her feeling guilty for making Tammy listen to her mumbled feelings and thoughts, she decided to shut up and just let her help for once. 

"Alright, well, I just feel like I'm chasing after someone who doesn't really want to be here. I feel like I am way more invested in this relationship than she is, especially with the long term. I feel like I am putting in all this effort and she's not. I mean she is, but like I'm putting in 80 and she's putting in 20. It's exhausting. I am always the one who brings things up. I am always the one who feels the need to explain and go into depth. I am the one constantly asking for reassurance, and I mean I know half of the time it's foolish, but I can't help it. I honestly keep having this internal battle within myself. On one hand, I am really trying to choose myself and be an actual badass, not just act like one. I feel like I am finally putting myself first for the first time in a really fucking long time.. or actually maybe ever. Like after the heist I decided to do directing. I decided to stick around with a group of really fucking amazing people who actually make me want to be a better human being, which is really weird. And I'm choosing her because she makes me want to be the best version of myself. No offense, but she does," Daphne started to say. She could hear Tammy's smile and eye roll. 

"She has brought out so much in me that I had thought I lost or stuff I didn't even know I was capable of. She's made me re-evaluate how I see the world and how I perceive things. And like, I know that I seem super calm to all my fans, but I am really not that put together. Anyways, she makes me calm. I feel an internal calm when I talk to her. When I see her smile. When I hear that infectious laugh. Like, I feel like I'm home. And I've never felt that with anyone before. Everyone always puts me on edge, but she doesn't. My heart is so satisfied with her. But like, there's also something whispering in my head telling me that this is all fake. That I don't deserve this and it's all going to disappear in a moment and that Especially Rose. She's been so broken before, and I don't want to make any more scars. I don't want to be a burden. I don't want her to feel like she has to take care of me because she doesn't, but she probably thinks that because I'm constantly up her ass and reading between every line even if there isn't one...  I don't want to be something temporary. I want to be her forever. And despite all the fucked up things I think, I truly feel like I could be. I feel like I could be that something that is consistent and never waivers. I feel like I could love her and help her reach her full potential. I don't want to fix her. I want to help her find the best version of herself, and I know it's so fucking selfish, but I think the best version of herself has me in her life in some capacity. I just really want it to be as a partner in just about everything. I understand she needs to do things on her own and I need to have some things for myself. But I want to be there for all her accomplishments and all of her lows. I just want to be there. I want to finally stop chasing people's affection and settle down. Rose could be that person.. she is that person.." Daphne continued. There was a long pause before she heard anything on the other side of the line. 

"Okay, this is what this is actually about huh?" Tammy concluded. 

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked. 

"This has nothing to actually do with Rose and Jessie... Okay, you need to decide what you want. Relationships are hard and definitely take a lot of trust. Reassuring each other is normal because you make yourself so vulnerable to another person which is really scary. But if stuff is running deeper than that then maybe you need to really take a look at that and adjust. What do you want? Like first thing that comes to your mind, what do you want," Tammy asked. 

"I want her," Daphne blurted. 

"Then you're going to have to work EXTRA hard on this stuff. You're projecting a lot of past stuff onto a baby relationship and while you're always going to be haunted by some of the stuff you've experienced, don't let it define this relationship. You clearly love her, like unconditional kind of love, but you're letting your head which isn't at it's best right now make a lot of decisions. Trust your gut, trust your heart. I think you should make yourself a checklist before you start getting into your head. If it's a text, reread it and really think about how she'd say it aloud. Read it aloud even. Go back up and reread the last few lines of the conversation, check to see if there is a dramatic switch in syntax or length. If you're in person, watch her body language. You're an actress, use that to your advantage. Plus she's already super easy to read. If she says something super vague maybe ask her to elaborate or rephrase it," Tammy suggested. Daphne pondered over what Tammy said and took a deep breath. She was right. She was letting her head fuck up the best thing that's ever happened to her and she just needed to let things flow. She couldn't be in control of other people and what they did or how they showed their love. Rose was doing the best she could with what she had at the moment, and Daphne needed to trust that. If Rose truly didn't want to be with Daphne, she wouldn't be. 

"Thanks Tammy, I don't know what I'd do without you," Daphne admitted. 

"Oh hun, you'd be so lost," Tammy teased. Daphne rolled her eyes in response which prompted a laugh on the other end of the line. 

"You are seriously more than welcome. I am here for you, and I promise you it's going to get better. I know it's a struggle, but every day you just have to remind yourself that she loves you. And just keep having faith in that. And that's why communication is important. To build trust and be reassured. There will come a time where you won't overthink as much, and you'll feel totally secure and safe in this loving relationship that you've built together," Tammy said reassuringly. 

"Alright, well I'll let you get back to your amazing road trip. Again thank you Tam, I love you," Daphne smiled. 

"I love you too Daphne, good luck," Tammy said before she hung up. Daphne took another deep breath and plopped down on the bed. She decided to take a nap as it was 2:00 pm and she knew Rose wouldn't be home for a while. Rose told her around 6:00 which gave her plenty of time to relax and get herself under control before she came home. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*buzz buzz*

Daphne rubbed her eyes and rolled over and looked at the clock and it read 8:00 pm. Rose was late and it threw her thoughts into a frenzy. 

She looked down at her phone and it was a message from Lou asking about the loft. Daphne looked right past it and focused on the fact that Rose hadn't sent her a text saying she was going to be late.  _ **No Daphne, it's fine. She probably just got wrapped up in work and lost track of time,**  _Daphne thought to herself.

Daphne paced around the room for another 30 minutes, in which there was still no text. Daphne's heart rate accelerated and her breathing to became laboured. Her brain decidedly took over and threw out Tammy's checklist. She grabbed her purse and the keys to her Porshe and raced down to Rose's studio. 

It took another 30 minutes to get there because LA traffic was still horrible at this time. When she finally parked and unlocked the backdoor to the studio she was so far down her brain's twisted path that she conjured up a scenario in which Jessie and Rose planned on confessing their love to the world at the Oscar's. Her biggest fear wasn't being left at the altar, but rather being left on the red carpet. 

Daphne scoured the entire place but Rose was nowhere to be found. While searching for Rose, she also noticed that there was no evidence of Jessie either. This slowed down her runaway train, but it didn't completely stop it. When she realized the dresses weren't on the main floor she went downstairs to the basement which Rose converted into her own personal workspace. It had 5 sewing machines, at least 10 different sized mannequins, spoils of various fabric, and everything else she desired. She had taken a lot of time and careful consideration when she created her space. When it was finished it was everything she had ever dreamed of and more. She was so proud of her workspace, her shop, and her dress line. She had finally made it to where she wanted to be. 

Daphne switched on the light and wandered around until she stumbled upon a table set up with 4 cups of tea, a spoon, an empty jar of Nutella, scissors, pins, and a partially covered piece of fabric. She looked beside the table and noticed a half covered mannequin. A sticky note hung loosely on the sheet with Jessie's name written on it. Daphne, not wanting to ruin anything,  tried to figure out what it was without removing the sheet. A few seconds in she got too impatient and gently tore the sheet off. Underneath uncovered a dress designed for the Gods. 

Jessie's dress was a dark navy blue with lines of citrine's running down the dress like rays of sunshine starting from the sweetheart neckline. The lines ended in various different places to give the emphasize the sun ray effect. The bottom of the dress had various planets hand painted on. The back was open, besides 5 silver rope chains that strung across the gap which was shaped like a V. Each chain had a small star pendant that hung directly below the chain. The dress closed again right before the mannequin's ass showed. It was an absolutely stunning dress and Rose had truly outdone herself with this one. She spent over 10 hours just perfecting those planets alone. She looked down and noticed that on the table was a long sheer veil. At the top, it had little clips so that it would sit gently on Jessie's head. There were different sized grey embroidered balls which were meant to be comets and gold glitter tails that ran down the length of the veil. The wrists of the mannequin had bands of identical silver bracelets to represent the rings of Saturn and Uranus. Daphne circled the dress over and over again. She was in absolute awe of how beautiful it was and overflowed with pride as she saw her lover's masterpiece, but something inside of her kept eating at her. It gnawed on her ribs and pulled on her heartstrings hoping her rib cage would become lose enough and her heart free enough to burst out of her chest to either fly away or shatter onto the floor. Right now, she wanted to run away and leave her heart lying there on the floor so Rose could see it when she came down to put the final touches on it. 

"What're you doin down here love?" Rose asked. Daphne jumped as she heard her lover's voice. She turned to face her as she walked down the wooden stairs. 

"You were late and you hadn't messaged me," Daphne said. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it was and then Jessie suggested we get something to eat since we had been working all day and had forgotten to," Daphne said. 

"It's fine," Daphne said coldly. 

"Okay... I don't believe that," Rose said. Daphne was silent. Rose raised her eyebrow and stepped toward Daphne. Daphne stepped back and turned back toward the dress so she wouldn't have to look directly at Rose. 

"I just sometimes feel like you aren't as committed to this as I am," Daphne mumbled. 

"What do you mean?" Rose asked. 

"Just, I feel like I'm putting in all this effort and you're not. You leave me on read 80% of the time now. You never update me on where you are or what you're doing. Like is it that hard to tell me you're going to be late or that you're going out to dinner with Jessie? I update you constantly. I always check in.." Daphne rambled. 

"I-I'm sorry, I never realized that was something that was required. I mean I appreciate it, I do. But we are both independent people with very busy schedules and I just, I never saw the need," Rose stumbled. She was honestly quite confused about Daphne's accusations. Sure it hadn't been smooth sailing since the whole Claude thing, but they were working through it. And she had thought everything on their relationship end was going good, great even. 

 "Nevermind," Daphne snapped. She felt foolish for bringing this up. She knew opening up and talking about her feelings would get her nowhere and here she was being vulnerable and there someone else was being oblivious to her feelings. 

"No Daph, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was something you needed or something you thought was necessary. I just have never had to do that with anyone before but if this is something you need then I will be willing to adjust and accommodate you," Rose reassured her. It was too late for Daphne, she had already closed herself up and her walls had been put back up. She hated being backed up into her defenses, so now she was going to go on the offensive.   
  


"Have you even started on my dress?" Daphne snapped. Rose gasped gently to herself. She couldn't believe Daphne just asked that. She didn't even have a response other than to storm off and rip down a sheet uncovering a mannequin which had a dress completely done wrapped around it.

Daphne walked over slowly to the mannequin and studied the dress carefully. It was a long simple gown. It had a very deep U-neckline and sleeves made of guipure lace. The lace was a sunflower yellow with yellow topazes stitched in every single flower pistil. The gown embraced her as a person and radiated the exact color she hit Rose with every single day. It was warm and soft like her, yet the sharp edges which were meant to replicate petals, at the end of the dress gave it a dash of danger, which all the girls knew she could be. On the neck of the mannequin sat a necklace that rivaled the Touissant. Daphne immediately recognized that it was Amita's handiwork when she saw the intimate details she put into it. It was more a collar than a necklace, it tightly hung around the neck, just below the Adam's apple. The biggest stones sat there, which were the emeralds and diamonds. It then spiked downward like petals, a combination of pearls, yellow sapphires, yellow garnet and diamonds hung in tight lines. And finally, on top of the mannequins head, sat a small flower crown made of gold, but it had a note which read that real poppies were to be attached to it on the day of the award ceremony. 

"The dress.. it's..." Daphne stuttered. 

"Daffodil yellow, I know.." Rose said softly. 

"Yes that, but... it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Daphne wept. Rose took a deep breath and wrapped her arm around the taller woman. 

"Thank you, I just tried to make the most you dress I could. And I tried to show you how I see you too," Rose smiled softly at her. 

"I-I'm so sorry.." Daphne cried. 

"It's okay, I understand," Rose said calmingly. 

"No, it's really not. I assume the worst. I read between the wrong lines. I overthink. I overshare. I expect you to read my mind and pick up on my subtle hints and when you don't get it, I push you away, when in reality all I want to do is have you closer. God you're going to get so tired of my shit eventually," Daphne laughed. She wiped away at her tears and looked at the dress again. 

"No, no I'm really not. I mean yes it's sometimes frustrating that you push me away and then get upset when I stay away or stay away at the wrong time. Yes, I sometimes wish I could get it through your thick noggin that I do in fact love you. But I am not going to 'get tired of your shit'. I love you Daphne. And I understand that you carry a lot of baggage. But you are not broken. You are not unworthy of love because of it. To the right person, you will never be too much. I believe that I am the right person for you, despite all my other anxieties.  Darling, you make me a better person. You make me calmer than I've ever been. You picked stuff up and moved stuff around inside this crazy brain of mine. You got me to believe in myself enough to be excited about being a mum.  You got me to believe in me, now I need you to believe in me.  I am here now and I will always be here. I won't let your mind trick you into thinking otherwise," Rose explained. Daphne wrapped her arms around Rose so tightly and sobbed softly. She had never been shown this type of love before and to her, it was all so overwhelming, but also so comforting at the same time. She had searched long and hard for it, and now she finally had it. She never imagined it'd come in the form of a small crazy haired brilliant woman, but she now wouldn't trade it for the world. 

A few moments passed before Daphne began to collect herself again. She wiped her tears and desperately tried to pat dry the CD sized tear stains she left on Roses's shoulder. 

"Hun, it's okay," Rose laughed softly. Daphne smiled and laughed too. She felt so much better after that cry, after that talk. It's what she needed to kick herself back into gear. 

"Thank you," Daphne whispered. 

"No need to thank me," Rose smiled. Daphne wanted to argue but she remembered what Tammy had told her earlier that day and decided it wasn't worth it. She needed to stop fighting and just accept Rose's love. She wouldn't be here if she didn't want to. Daphne had to trust that. She had to begin to trust Rose's words because while actions meant more, words didn't always have to be her enemy. 

"Can we go home now?" Rose asked. 

"Of course," Daphne smiled. They took each other's hand and walked up the stairs and out toward the car. 

Before they got in, Daphne turned around and said, "Again, thank you so much for the dress. It looks like a dress made for a Goddess."

"That's because it is. You are my Goddess," Rose smiled. Daphne rolled her eyes playfully before opening the door for Rose and then getting into the car herself. They drove back home listening to old tunes and both feeling more confident about their relationship than ever. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I didn't get this one out as fast as I hoped, but I didn't take a whole month like last time. I only have a month left of school so hopefully once summer kicks in I'll be back in the true swing of things. I know I keep saying that but I believe I'm doing a little better. I truly am sorry for the terrible upload schedule. I hope you enjoy this not so light Rophne chapter. While I believe Rose is a nervous wreck 9 times out of 10, I truly believe that Daphne too struggles with a lot of anxiety as well just in a different way.   
> Have a great night/day whenever you're reading this!
> 
> xoxo


	38. Are We There Yet?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days into the road trip and things are already chaotic. While the kids bicker, Tammy takes a detour down memory lane and Nine uncovers an unexpected character in their saga.

It had only been three days and Tammy was about ready to throw in the towel. Lucas caught something one day into the trip and Tammy knew it was only a matter of days before the majority of the car had it too. Luckily though Lucas wasn't being too fussy about it. The baby medicine they picked up was working extremely well and Nine picked up some poster board to create barriers between the 3 kids in the middle seat. It kept the two older ones from bickering but it would also, hopefully, keep the germs contained to only the middle seat, which Lucas occupied.

"Mommy, are we there yet?" Derek asked. 

"No sweetie, we have a long way to go," Tammy said. 

"Can't we just get there now?" Derek huffed. 

"No, unfortunately, that's now how moving works," Tammy said.

"I'm bored Mommy," Keri whined as she knocked on the cardboard. 

"Keri baby, we can't do that remember, we don't want to wake Lucas," Tammy said calmly. She could feel the restlessness bubbling and if she didn't figure something out, the kids would eventually erupt. 

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Derek groaned.

"I'm thirsty," Keri said in the exact same tone.  Tammy turned around and rummaged through the cooler and handed both of them a sandwich and a juice box because she knew in about 10 minutes they'd ask for the other thing and it was easier to give it to them now then deal with it later. 

"I'm still bored," Keri complained.

"Okay baby, why don't we play a game?" Tammy suggested. 

"What kind of game?" Keri asked. 

"Well, do you know any fun games that we could play in the car sweetie?" Tammy asked. 

"Can we play iSpy?" Keri asked hopefully. 

"I want to play!" Derek yelled. 

"Okay we can all play, but remember we have to keep our voices down. Lucas is sleeping Der," Tammy whispered. She looked at the infant who's eyes opened for a split moment before closing again. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him go back to sleep. She didn't know if she could handle them all at once while only running on a few hours of sleep. 

"How about I play? Tam, you need some sleep," Roni said softly. Tammy and Leslie both turned their heads when they heard Roni's voice. She had stayed silent most of the trip and only talked when she was talked to or when she needed something only the adults could provide. 

"Are you sure?" Leslie asked.

"Yeah, I don't mind," Roni smiled up at both of them. She then proceeded to explain the rules to the two younger ones and lead the game of iSpy. Once Tammy was satisfied with the activities that were going on in the back, she finally let herself close her eyes. 

 On top of the 3 youngest people's problems, she was dealing with Daphne's spout of insecurities. She honestly didn't mind it because it allowed her to listen to something other than Radio Disney or the kids bickering. More though, she understood where Daphne stood. She not too long ago had been the same way.   
  
********  
As Tammy walked down the street leaving the Ocean's house, she realized it had been two years since Deb left her for Lou. She also realized that it still stung the same. She knew her and Deb weren't perfect for each other and that they had their problems, but she couldn't help but let her self-esteem take a huge hit. She knew it wasn't anything she did, rather it was the way that Lou and Deb connected that made her realize she was never going to be on the same level as Lou when it came to understanding and molding with Deb. While she was completely submissive to the great wild Ocean, Lou's strength pushed back the tide's of Deb in a way no one was able to do before. Like gasoline and fire, the two instantly sparked. This lead Tammy to believe they'd just be a fling. The instant connection would wear off and Deb would go back to being in love with her. Instead, their fire somehow burned long and slow but with the same intensity as when one would burn oak or maple. The chemistry between them flowed smoother than water running down a waterfall right after a big rain. 

The process was quick and easy though, Deb realized after 2 weeks of training Lou that she loved her and that staying with Tammy would only hurt her. Tammy understood, but it didn't make it hurt any less. She knew the minute Deb came home after that night at the club. The way Debbie talked about her, the way her eyes lit up and her demeanor all pointed toward the inevitable happening. Deb spent about a week apologizing for what had taken place, even Lou had made an attempt to apologize to her. But she knew it wasn't either of their faults. There was nothing any of the three could do about it. The Australian and the Ocean were meant to be. 

Tammy got into her car and took a deep breath. She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep watching Deb and Lou do the same things that she and Debbie used to do in the same house but better. She couldn't listen to another tearful phone call because it caused her to turn green with envy and jealousy.  She couldn't stomach another night going home alone after a big score while she knew that they were celebrating in more than one way. A sharp shiver ran up her back as the disgust and pain brewed in her stomach. While she thought she could still be their friends, even just their fence, it was just too hard. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she searched for something to write on and pen. She placed the paper on the steering wheel and wrote out her note, 

"Dear Debbie, 

It pains me to write this and even more so to know that I can't do this in person, but it's just too hard for me. I can't do this anymore. I thought that I could, but I was mistaken. The wounds are too fresh and I don't see them getting any better with the constant salt being poured into them. Please know that I do not fault you or Lou for that matter. I understand and I completely agree with it, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Know that you will always have a special place in my heart and I will be there for you when you need it most. But I must let you go and I need to find myself. I love you so much Deborah Ocean, I always have, and to be completely honest, I probably always will. 

Best wishes, 

Tam-Tam  xoxo"

Tammy got out of her car and walked back up to the Ocean's house and slipped it under the front door. Before she walked back for the last time, she took one more long look around. This house held a lifetime full of memories in it for her, but she knew it was time to let go and free up some of the storage so that it could hold Lou and Deb's memories. She drove off away with a broken heart but a clean slate to start again. 

It would be another six months before she returned anywhere near New York. Tammy always saved her earnings from the cons and small heists that she participated in. So she finally dipped into some of that money and decided to take a long vacation out to the West Coast where she slept and drank her way around. She was on guy number 16, and drink number.... well, she couldn't remember so it didn't matter. Despite only being with Deb, she figured switching teams was going to be the only way she was going to get most of her stuff free. It also felt like punishment and liberation at the same time. It was freeing because she didn't imagine Debbie doing any of the stuff the men did because well, they never ate her out or fingered her. But it was absolute hell because for one she never really came, but also, it felt awful. She hated it. Penetration was something she was not very fond of, at least the way these guys had done it. Despite all of that, she continued to do it anyways. She was fully aware that it was a form of self-destruction but she didn't care. Her self-esteem was so low that she felt that physical pain and suffering was justified because at least she was found attractive by someone. She was wanted and sought after by someone. So her liver and her vagina were just going to have to suffer while her heart took a break. 

When she came back to New York, she stayed at her older sister, Rebecca's house. Rebecca was 8 years older and did not have much to do with Tammy growing up, but once Tammy had gotten past the age of 16, Rebecca and she had a much better relationship. So it was not a far stretch to ask for somewhere to stay when she needed to come back home. Rebecca had just recently become engaged to a man named Michael. They had met in back at NYU while getting their bachelor's degrees and had lost contact when they went off to grad school. Their jobs linked them back up again and the spark remained. A wedding and a baby later, Tammy started to get the itch she thought she had shaken a while ago. She had cleaned up her act and between babysitting for her sister, she had found a job at the bank. While she loved the simplicity of this life, she knew it was time to spread her wings and go out on her own again. On one of the last nights out with her sister and brother-in-law, Michael ran into some old frat brothers. One, in particular, caught Tammy's eye. Rebecca was quick to pick up on it and immediately began to try and grab his attention. 

"Why don't you join us for dinner..." Rebecca said as she looked at the handsome blue-eyed brown-haired wonder. 

"Ashton, Ashton Reagan," Ashton said with a smile. 

The entire time at dinner Ashton and Tammy flirted back and forth. It was the first time in a long time that Tammy's heartbeat raced and her lungs hurt from laughing so much. She never thought she'd find anything that could ever compare with the feeling that Deborah Ocean gave her, but after another 6 months getting to know Ashton, she found it. Or well, she believed she had found it. 

"What if, what if this is all a show just to get me in his pants?" Tammy said as she paced back in forth in her sister's master bathroom. This was becoming more and more of a common occurrence. She would work herself up right before a date and after. It felt like she spent more time in this bathroom than she did in her own bed. Rebecca would talk her down when she could, but she did have a husband, a child and one on the way to take care of. 

"Tamatha Rayne Johnson, it's been 6 months and you still haven't put out. If he just wanted in your pants, he would have left by now," Becca scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not as skinny as I used to be.." Tammy sighed as she stood in her sister's full-length mirror. 

"You're skinnier Tamatha," Rebecca huffed. 

"I mean, I want him. I know he's good for me. He makes me happy. He makes me smile. He makes me feel like I'm the only girl in the room despite all the other girls who make it very obvious that they want him. I could see a future with him. A house like this, maybe a kid or two.." Tammy trailed off. 

"Then what's the problem sis?" Rebecca asked. 

"I just. I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that someone else may want me too. I mean after Deb.. I felt so worthless. Like trash. But I know she didn't throw me out. She came to me as soon as she knew. I know she fought it. I just, what if I can't find someone who fits with me as well as Lou fit with Deb? Oh god, what if I am not meant for anyone?" Tammy cried. Her breath started to become short and she felt light headed. 

"Tamatha.." Rebecca whispered as she cradled her younger sister in her arms. "You will find that someone, but you need to let go of Deb. She chose her path and now you have an option to chose yours. Ashton is a nice guy, he's a good provider, and he obviously really likes you, if not already in love with you. He is actively choosing you, now you need to actively choose him. Or else, lose him cause it's not fair to keep stringing him along. And I know you're not the type to do that. So, choose," Rebecca continued. It took a few moments before Tammy could collect herself to respond to her sister, but when she did she knew what she had to do. 

"Alright, I choose him," Tammy said proudly. The two sisters hugged and exited the bathroom to tackle the next 4 years. 

********

A wedding, 3 kids, an eBay habit, and a heist later she was exactly where she needed to be. She found the actual person she was supposed to be with and she would do it all again if it meant she would have a future with Leslie. She looked over fondly at her fiancee and sighed. The air she let go of finally came in as easily as it went out. While she had a lot on her plate, nothing felt impossible anymore. She truly had a partner on equal terms and it felt so relaxing. There was no extra weight to lug around all alone.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Tammy was busy taking care of Daphne, Nine Ball was busy keeping extensive tabs on Lou. She was constantly doing research on the Benedict family. She was having no luck figuring out who was following Lou, but she assumed it was one of their higher level soldiers, or a lower level kid trying to prove himself to the family that he was worthy enough to move higher up on the food chain. Keeping track of Lou was no easy task, so whoever it was, they were doing a good job. Lou had also cleaned up her footprint after Nine called her and Deb out before the heist. While she wasn't as good as Deb about staying underground, she was pretty non-existent. Nine was thoroughly impressed, but she wasn't about to let some low-level thug outdo her. 

As they bounced around from spotty reception to none at all, she did all she could during the late night hours that they were in a hotel. They stayed in one place for as little as possible for more than one reason, so it made getting a hit on a fresh trail hard. She barely had enough time to do everything she needed while they were staying in a hotel. But after 3 days of pouring all her free time, which was not a lot, it finally produced enough to get something worth enough to contact Lou about. 

Nine-> Lou: *Aye, where you at tonight?* A few minutes later her phone chimed. 

Lou-> Nine: *On the last leg of my trip. I am currently in Canada.*

Nine-> Lou: *I think I got something on the person following you.*

Lou-> Nine: *What you got Nine?*

Nine-> Lou: *I think it's Terry's youngest brother, Giancarlo. He is a half sibiling, father fooled around it seems. He's about my age. Graduated from Berkeley in Business. So it looks like he's trying to take the more advanced path Terry took. He found out about his biodad shortly before he entered college. There's nothing to suggest the other brothers really knew about him until later.  But now that he knows where he came from, he wants in. This makes him desperate to prove himself and live up to the family name.*

Lou-> Nine: *Huh, family plot twist aye. Looks like every family has em. At least we know it is Terry.. thanks Nine. Hopefully, I can use this to my advantage.*

Nine-> Lou: *Don't mention it. Just be careful. He's a hot head."

Lou-> Nine: *What Benedict isn't? But, thank you again. I think Deb would kill me if I didn't make it home.* Nine laughed softly to herself as she read the text. Deb would be beyond furious if Lou didn't show up. That was something Nine did not want to experience. She had seen her mad a few times, but an angry Deb who's protecting a hurt Deb would be a whole new experience. Recently, Deb had been dealing with any type of hurt by just completely shutting down. It made no sense to Nine, but who was she to judge. Tammy had mentioned how out of character this was, but they do say prison changes a person. 

Nine-> Lou: *She's okay by the way. Hurt, but okay.* 

Lou-> Nine: *Thanks. Night kid.*

Nine-> Lou: *Night Lou.*

Nine slipped her phone into her pocket and smiled as she heard the gas station mini-mart door open. The kids needed the bathroom and came out with a handful of snacks. As they piled back into the minivan she couldn't help but pause to take a moment to take all of this in. While it had been a rough 3 days, she wouldn't trade it for the world, and she would protect what she had.  So while they weren't truly there yet, she was enjoying the journey and she would do anything to get them there. She had been through too much to lose her slice of happiness now. To be honest, they'd all bee through too much to lose their slice of happiness to some man.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for being so patient and sticking with it. I know it's been well over a month, but I finally got something out. I thought I'd have more time with school being out, but I underestimated work and other things. Have a great night/day whenever you're reading this! I love each and every single one of you
> 
> xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all liked that. I will be adding much more to this. I can't stop with these two. More characters and plots will develop in time. Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos keep this writer going.


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